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GOVERNOR 

WILLIAM   TRYON, 

AND  HIS 

ADMINISTRATION 

IN  THE 

PROVINCE  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA, 
1765-1771. 

SERVICES    IN  A   CIVIL  CAPACITY   AND   MILITARY   CAREER   AS 

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  OF  COLONIAL  FORCES  WHICH 

SUPPRESSED  THE  INSURRECTION  OF  THE 

REGULATORS. 

BY 

MARSHALL  DeLANCEY  HAYWOOD. 


"  I  can  see  no  generosity,  far  less  justice,  in  the  conduct  of  those  who  are 
obstinately  deaf  to  all  evidence  in  favor  of  one  whom  they  have  been  pre- 
viously taught  to  condemn,  and  who  seem  to  think  that  the  strength  of  their 
own  cause  depends  on  the  amount  of  obloquy  which  they  can  contrive  to  heap 
upon  its  opponents."  Aytoun. 


Raleigh  : 

E.  M.  UzzELL,  Printer, 

1903. 


^^rsss^^v^^ 


COPYKIGHT,    1902, 
BY 

!Maksiiaxl  DeLancey  Haywood. 


TO   THE    MEMORY 


REVOLUTIONARY  PATRIOTS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 

WUO    LEARNED    A    VALUABLE    LESSON    IN    THE    AUT    OF 
WAR    WHILE    FIGHTING    UNDER    TBYON    AT    ALA- 
MANCE IN  1771,  AND  AFTERWARDS  MADE 
USE    OF    THEIR    KNOWLEDGE    IN    A 
WAY    NOT    TO    HIS    LEKINO, 
THIS    VOLUME   IS 

DEDICATED. 


To  the  present  let  us  bid  adieu 

And  with  the  past  commune; 
As  Holy  Writ  enjoins,  we'll  view 

The  rock  whence  we  are  hewn. 

Tales  of  a  brave  and  warlike  race 

My  pages  will  unfold — 
Of  peace  and  strife,  of  death  and  life. 

Of  word  and  action  bold. 

I'll  seek  to  tell  of  men  long  gone. 

Of  long  forgotten  ways; 
And  how  our  fathers  wrought  and  fought 

In  old  colonial  days. 


PREFACE. 


Ever  since  I  have  learned  to  rely  more  upon  documentary 
evidence  than  upon  the  individual  opinions  of  writers,  I  have 
been  convinced  that  history  has  dealt  too  harshly  with  the 
memory  of  Governoe  Teyon.  The  story  of  his  life  in  North 
Carolina,  and  my  own  opinion  of  him,  will  be  found  in  this 
book. 

I  know  that  my  views  are  vei-y  much  at  variance  with  those 
generally  accepted ;  but  I  hold  as  true  a  declaration  by  the 
old  Puritan  divine,  Richard  Baxter,  who  says:  "As  long  as 
men  have  liberty  to  examine  and  contradict  one  another,  one 
may  partly  conjecture,  by  comparing  their  words,  on  which 
side  the  trath  is  like  to  be." 

Thus  holding,  I  now  submit  my  views  to  the  public — or  to 
that  small  portion  of  the  public  which  shall  do  me  the  honor 
to  read  what  I  have  written. 

Maeshaxl  DeLancet  Haywood. 

127  East  Edenton  Street. 

Ealeigh,  North  Carolina. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Close  of  the  administration  of  Governor  Dobbs  in  North  Caro- 
lina— Tryon  appointed  Lieutenant-Governor — His  family  and 
ancestry — He  arrives  in  the  Colony — -Improves  postal  sys- 
tem— Death  of  Governor  Dobbs — Lord  Adam  Gordon  in  North 
Carolina — Tiyon  qualifies  as  Governor  pro  tempore 9-16 

CHAPTER  II. 

Governor  Tryon  recommends  New  Bern  for  the  capital  of  the 
Colony  —  Is  taken  ill  —  Appointed  permanent  Governor  — 
Friendly  to  Dissenters — Reverend  George  Wliitefield — Re- 
ligious and  educational  advancement — North  Carolina  moun- 
tains and  the  mountaineers — The  Stamp  Act  passed 17-31 

CHAPTER  III. 

Attempts  to  enforce  the  Stamp  Act — Resistance  by  the  Colo- 
nists— Armed  demonstration  against  the  sloop  of  war  Dili- 
gence— -Crew  of  the  sloop  Viper  captured  and  imprisoned — • 
Meeting  of  the  Governor's  Council — -Public  Printer  suspended 
from  office — Repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act — Personnel  of  the  Gov- 
ernor's Council 32-52 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Land-grant  riots  in  Mecklenburg  County — Henry  Eustace  Mc- 
Culloh  and  George  Augustus  Selwyn — Their  property  confis- 
cated during  the  Revolution — James  Iredell  befriends  McCul- 
loh — Cherokee  boundary — Personnel  of  party  running  same — ; 
Tryon  accompanies  party — Honored  with  Indian  names — 
South  Carolina  boundary — George  Mercer,  of  Virginia,  com- 
missioned Lieutenant-Governor  of  North  Carolina 53-61 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Tryon's  house  at  Brunswick — Governor's  Palace  built  at  New 
Bern — -Description  of  same-^Had  no  equal  in  America — Wash- 
ington entertained  there  after  the  Revolution — Building  de- 
stroyed by  fire — Whilom  counties  of  Tryon,  Dobbs,  Bute,  and 
Glasgow — Town  of  Tryon  and  Tryon  Mountain — Some  coun- 
ties and  towns  named  for  Whigs  in  England  and  America — 
Wake  County  named  for  Mrs.  Tryon,  nee  Wake — Esther 
Wake  a  myth 62-76 

CHAPTER  VI. 

First  insurrection  of  the  Regulators — Tryon's  campaign  against 
them  in  1768 — Official  abuses — Scarcity  of  currency — Colonel 
Edmund  Fanning — First  attack  on  Hillsborough  by  Regula- 
tors— Hermon  Husband  and  William  Butler  arrested — High 
titles  in  small  army  under  Tryon — Colonel  Alexander  Os- 
borne— Judges  Moore  and  Henderson 77-103 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Further  violence  of  the  Regulators — Outrages  continue  at  Hills- 
borough— House-burning  in  Granville  County — Husband  ex- 
pelled from  Assembly  and  imprisoned — Legislative  measures 
against  the  insurgents — Tryon's  second  military  campaign — 
Patriotic  North  Carolinians  in  his  army — Partial  list  of 
officers  —  General  Waddell's  force  intercepted  —  Insurgents 
routed  at  Battle  of  Alamance  —  Some  of  the  killed  and 
wounded — Flight  of  Husband  before  the  battle  begins 104-139 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Tryon  completes  work  of  subjugation — Six  insurgents  hanged 
and  six  pardoned — Captain  Merrill  executed — Tryon  made 
Governor  of  New  York,  but  temporarily  remains  in  North 
C^1rolina — "Atticus"  letter — Character  of  Robert  Thompson — 
Death  of  General  Waddell — The  Gillespies  patriots  in  the 
Revolution — Nearly  all  other  Regulators  Tories — Tryon's  old 
soldiers  conquer  Tory  Regulators  in  the  Revolution — All  re- 
ligious  denominations   disclaim    Regulators  —  James    Hasell, 


8  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Acting  Governor — Governor  Josiali  Martin  arrives — Martin 
snubbed  by  Assembly,  which  compliments  Tryon — Concluding 
remarks  about  Tryon's  administration  in  North  Carolina — 
Entrance  upon  his  duties  in  New  York 140-194 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Observations  on  Tryon's  career  in  Revolution — Major-General  of 
Loyalists,  and  Lieutenant-General  after  return  to  England — 
Tribute  to  his  character  by  Judge  Jones,  of  New  York — 
Death — Obituary  in  Gentleman's  Magazine — Buried  in  family 
vault  at  Twickenham — His  will  and  that  of  his  wife — Con- 
clusion     195-208 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Tryon  Palace Frontispiece. 

SiGNATUKE    AND    ArMOBAL   SeAL   OF    GOVERNOR   TrYON 12 

Ruins  of  St.  Philip's  Church 24 

Map  of  the  B.^ttlefield  of  Ai.amance 1"24 

Tomb  of  Governor  Tryon 200 


GOVERNOR   WILLIAM    TRYON, 


CHAPTER  I. 

CLOSE  OF  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  GOVERNOR  DOBBS  IN 
NORTH  CAROLINA— TRYON  APPOINTED  LIEUTENANT-GOV- 
ERNOR—HIS FAMILY  AND  ANCESTRY— HE  APJIIVES  IN  THE 
COLONY— IMPROVES  POSTAL  SYSTEM— DEATH  OF  GOV- 
ERNOR DOBBS— LORD  ADAM  GORDON  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA 
—TRYON  QUALIFIES  AS  GOVERNOR  PRO  TEMPORE. 

From  a  colony  owned  and  controlled  by  a  company  of  Eng- 
lish noblemen — the  "Lords  Proprietors" — North  Carolina  be- 
came a  royal  province  in  1729.  Thereafter  Governors  were 
ajjpointed  by  the  King.  Tlie  third  person  so  commissioned 
was  Aethue  Dobbs^  a  native  of  Ireland,  whose  seat  was  Castle 
Dobbs,  in  Carrickferg-iis,  which  is  still  o^\^led  by  his  descend- 
ants. Governor  Dobbs  was  not  to  fame  unknown  before  com- 
ing to  America.  Besides  being  an  author  on  scientific  and 
other  subjects,  he  had  occupied  the  posts  of  High  Sheriff  of 
County  Antrim  and  Surveyor-General  of  Ireland.  He  had 
also  been  a  member  of  the  Irish  Parliament  for  Carrickfer- 
gus.  Wlien  the  Chief  Magistracy  of  North  Carolina  was  as- 
sumed by  him,  however,  in  1754,  he  was  nearing  his  three- 
score and  ten;  and,  as  his  age  further  advanced,  it  became 
necessary  that  a  deputy,  or  Lieutenant-Goveraor,  should  be  ap- 
pointed to  discharge  the  more  active  duties  of  state.  This 
was  accordingly  done  in  1764.     The  one  thus  chosen  as  Lieu- 


10  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

tenant-Governor  of  the  province  was  Williaj:  Tkyon,  who 
then  held  a  commission  in  the  regular  army  of  Great  Britain. 
The  eventful  career,  in  North  Carolina,  of  this  noted  i^er- 
sou,  who  soon  became  fnll  Governor  (and  was  later  Governor 
of  New  York),  will  constitute  the  theme  of  this  work. 

Governor  Trvon  was  bom  in  Surrey,  at  Norbury  Park,  a 
handsome  seat  then  owned  by  his  family  but  which  has  since 
passed  into  other  hands.  His  entrance  into  the  world  took 
place  in  1729 — the  same  year  in  which  North  Carolina,  one 
of  tlie  chief  scenes  of  his  future  achievements,  was  trans- 
formed from  a  proprietaiy  into  a  royal  provinca  He  be- 
longed to  an  English  family  of  high  standing,  which  is  said 
to  have  come  originally  from  tlie  Netherlands.  In  records 
of  the  baronetage,  knightage,  and  huidcd  gentry  of  Great 
Britain  we  often  meet  tlie  name.  "The  firet  of  this  family 
that  cajne  into  England  was  Peter  Tryon,  who  quitted  liie 
Netherlands  on  aceo\mt  of  the  troubles  raised  in  that  co\uitay 
by  the  Didce  of  Alva.  His  ancestors  had  flourished  tliere  a 
long  time  in  wealth  and  honour ;  so  tJiat  he  did  not  come  over 
in  an  indigent  manner  to  seek  his  fortune,  but  brought  wilJi 
him,  as  it  is  rejxirted,  above  60,000?."* 

While  the  Tryon  family  may  be  of  Netherlandish  origin, 
as  stated  by  the  old  historian  just  quoted,  there  are  records 
to  show  that  the  name,  or  one  of  the  closest  similarity,  was 
liorne  in  England  as  early  as  the  Norman  C\)nqiiest ;  fi.n-,  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Henry  the  Third,  a  writ  of  inquisition  as  to 
the  title  of  an  estate  called  Tryenestone,  in  Kent,  was  issued, 
with  the  result  reported  that  it  had  been  "given  to  a  certain 

•MoranfB  History  of  Essex  (A.  D.  1768),  Vol.  II.  p.  251. 


OF  NOKTII    CAROLINA.  11 

kiiiglit  named  Te.yan,  wlio  held  it  so  long  as  lie  lived;  and, 
after  his  decease,  Hugh  Tryan,  his  son  and  heir,  retained  it ; 
and,  after  the  said  Hugli,  Robert  Tiyan,  son  and  heir  of  the 
said  Hugh,  retained  it.  So  that  the  said  Trian,  Hugh,  ami 
Robert  held  the  said  land  without  challenge  from  the  lijrd 
William  the  King,  Jhe  Bastaixl,  to  the  time  of  King  John,  who 
took  the  said  land,  together  with  other  lands  of  the  Xonnans, 
into  his  o\na  hands,  as  his  escheats^  and  expelled  the  said 
Robert,  the  last  holder,  from  the  Kingdom  of  England,  and 
held  it  in  his  own  hand  for  two  yeai-s,  and  afterwards  gave  it 
to  Alberic  de  Marinis,  to  hold  at  his  pleasiire,  who  held  it  to 
the  time  of  our  lord  the  King  Heniy  that  now  is."  *  It  may 
be  that  the  Robert  Tryan,  whom  King  John  "expelled  from 
the  Kingdom  of  England,"  was  the  founder  of  the  family 
that  resided  in  the  Netherlands,  and  which  we  are  told  "had 
flourished  there  a  long  time  in  wealth  aaid  honour." 

Branches  of  the  Tryou  family  have  been  settled  in  various 
parts  of  England — in  Essex,  Northampton,  and  elsewhere. 
Governor  Tryon  was  the  son  of  Charles  Tryon,  of  Bulwick, 
Northamptonshire.  The  latter's  wife  (mother  of  the  Gov- 
ernor) was  the  Honorable  Lady  Mary  Tryon,  nee  Shirley, 
daughter,  by  his  second  marriage,  of  Robert  Shirley,  iirst 
Earl  Ferrers.  The  first  wife  of  Lord  Ferrers  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Laurence  Washington,  of  Garsden,  Wiltshire,  a  member 
of  the  family  from  which  sprang  General  George  Washing- 
ton. 

Through  the  Hoiise  of  Ferrei-s  Governor  Tryon  was  line- 
ally descended  from  the  Earl  of  Essex,  Queen  Elizabeth's 

"County  Records  of  the  surnames  of  Francus,  Franceis,  French,  in  England,  A.  D. 
1100-1350,  by  A.  D.  Weld  French,  p.  20S. 


12  GOVERNOR   TRYON 

sometime  favorite,  and  from  tlie  Royal  House  of  Plantag- 
enet.* 

The  anus  and  crest  of  the  Tryon  family,  as  given  liy 
Burke,  are  as  follows:  Arms — Azuir^  a  fcsse  embattled  he- 
tween  six  estoiles  or.  Crest — A  hears  head  saMe,  powdered 
ivifh  estoiles  or.  The  accompanying  illustration  of  the  ar- 
morial seal  of  Governor  Tryon  is  copied  from  a  fac-simile  in 
Lossing's  Field  Bool-  of  the  Bevohdion,  and  vas  made  by 
Lossing  from  an  original  in  tlie  possession  of  the  eminent 
American  divine  and  historian,  Reverend  Francis  Lister 
Hawks,  gi'andson  of  John  Hawks  who  superintended  the  erec- 
tion of  the  Palace  at  Is"ew  Bern.  The  inescuteheon,  shown 
on  the  Governor's  shield  in  the  illustration  here  given,  may 
have  been  adopted  by  him  in  right  of  his  descent  from  tlie 
Devereuxs,  Earls  of  Essex,  as  it  exliibits  a  similarity  to  the 
amis  borne  by  that  family. 

In  the  year  1757,  at  which  time  he  held  a  commission  as 
captain  in  the  First  Regiment  of  Foot-Guards,  Mr.  Tryon 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Margaret  Wake,  then  of  Han- 
over street,  London,  a  lady  possessing  a  dower  of  thirty 
thousand  pounds. 

The  brave  and  imfortunate  Admiral  Sir  George  Tryon, 
wlio  was  drowned  when  his  flag-ship,  the  Victoria,  collided 
M'ith  the  Camperdown,  on  the  22d  of  June,  1893,  was  of  the 
same  stock  as  Governor  Trv'on.  He  was  not,  however,  his 
lineal  descendant. 

The  commission  of  William  Tryon  as  Lieutenailt-Govcrnor 
of  North  Carolina  was  issued  from  the  Court  of  St.  Jaines,  by 

•Compare  monumontal  inscriptions  in  ninth  chapter  of  this  work  with  1868  edition 
of  Burke's  Peerage  (earldom  of  Ferrers):  see  also,  1900  edition  of  Burke's  Landed 
Gentry,  p.  1595. 


^IGWATUHE  AWD  Ai^^Ol^I^L  SE^IL  ©P  GO^^Ei^fSOil  TI^YOWo 


OF  NOETH   CAROLINA.  13 

order  of  King  George  the  Third,  on  April  26,  1764.  As  Gov- 
ernor Dol)bs  was  fast  snccniiibing  to  the  iiifimiities  of  age,  he 
had  Av-ritten  to  friends  at  Court,  reqiiesting  tliat  the  King's 
leave  be  obtained  for  his  temporary  return  to  Great  Britain. 
This  was  granted  in  the  month  following  Tryon's  appoint- 
ment, but  it  was  some  time  before  the  necessai-y  papers 
reached  iSforth  Carolina.  Tryon  arrived  in  the  province,  at 
Cape  Fear,  on  Wednesday,  the  10th  of  October,  176 1 ;  and 
next  day  waited  on  Governor  Dobbs,  who  had  already  been 
apprised  of  his  coming.* 

It  was  the  wish  of  Colonel  Tr^-on  to  assume  the  reins  of 
government  immediately  upon  his  arrival.  But  Governor 
Pobbs  determined  to  remain  until  the  fidhwing  Spring,  at 
which  time  he  had  requested  that  a  sloop  of  war  should  be  sent 
to  convey  him  home.  This  delay  proved  a  bitter  disappoint- 
ment to  Tryon,  who  was  making  plans  for  immediate  action 
upon  policies  which  he  intended  to  pursue.  Being  accom- 
panied by  his  family,  great  inconvenience  was  likewise  ex- 
perienced by  him  in  securing  suitable  lodgings,  as  the  Gov- 
ernor's Villa  was  still  in  possession  of  its  official  occupant. 
Furthermore,  Tryon  was  under  the  necessity  of  drawing 
largely  on  his  personal  revenues  during  the  time  intei'vening, 
as  the  Governor's  full  salary  could  not  be  paid  him  until 
Dobbs  had  vacated  the  Executive  chair.  Remonstrating 
about  this  in  a  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Halifax,  Tryon  declared 
Ihat  merceuai-y  gain  had  not  been  the  motive  which  brought 
him  to  America ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  he  had  not  come  with 
an  idea  of  squandering  his  private  fortune  in  unreasonable  ex- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VI.  pp.  1043.  1045.  1053. 


14  GOVEEXOK   TKYOX 

])enditures.  Concerning  Governor  Dobbs,  hmvever,  it  was 
added  that  be  bad  been  very  polite  in  his  attentions  to  the 
Trjon  hoiisebold,  and  should  receive  all  the  respect  due  bis 
character,  age,  and  infirmities.* 

Before  coming  to  America,  Tryon  had  consulted  Lord 
Hyde,  the  Postmaster-General  of  England,  with  a  view  of  es- 
tablishing more  convenient  mail  routes  in  the  colonies ;  and 
the  prosecution  of  this  design  was  one  of  the  first  matters 
which  engrossed  his  attention.  Shortly  after  being  sworn 
in  as  Lieutenant-Governor — which  ceremonial  occurred  at 
Wilmington  on  the  27th  of  October,  1704 — he  sought  to 
impress  his  views  upon  Governor  Dobbs,  and  the  latter  issued 
an  addi-ess  to  the  Assembly,  in  which  were  detailed  the  many 
advantages  which  would  probably  acciiie  from  the  execution 
of  Tryon's  suggestions.  The  recommendations  met  with  a 
favorable  reception,  and  several  appropriations  towards  car- 
rying them  into  efi'ect  were  made  before  the  session  adjourned. 
Desiring  the  co-operation  of  the  home  goverament,  Tryon 
sent  to  Lord  Hyde,  in  the  month  following,  a  dispatch  of  some 
length  in  which  were  given  the  conditions  whirh  re(pured 
the  system  in  question.  Aside  from  iujui-y  to  couuuerce, 
caused  by  the  irregularity  with  which  letters  were  delivered, 
the  wTiter  declared  that  needs  of  war  ought  to  be  considered. 
Should  the  southern  provinces  be  invaded,  there  were  no  re- 
liable means  through  which  aid  could  be  smimioned  from  the 
north.  By  water,  the  attempt  to  give  an  alanu  would  be  a 
precarious  undertaking;  while  equally  dangerous,  and  even 
more  uncertain,  would  be  such  an  cifurt  by  land.  In  the  lat- 
ter event,  Tryon  went  on  to  state,  a  messenger  might  ride 

•Colonial  Recorda  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  1053-1065. 


OF  NOKTIt    CAROI.IK^A.  15 

two  Imndrod  miles  or  more  liefore  being  able  to  provide  him- 
self w-itli  a  fresh  horse;  and  if  by  chance  a  hut  should  be 
readied,  no  shelter  could  be  obtained  for  the  animal,  which 
must  therefore  be  tiirned  out  to  graze  or  stray,  as  the  case 
might  be.  One  line,  from  New  York  to  Williamsburg,  Vir- 
ginia, was  already  in  operation;  but,  from  the  latter  place 
to  South  Carolina,  conmiunication  was  well-nigh  impossible. 
It  was  recommended  that  the  route  should  be  extended  via 
the  North  Carolina  to\TOS  of  Edenton,  Bath,  New  Bern,  Wil- 
mington, and  Brunswick,  to  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina. 
It  was  also  urged  that  packet-boats  should  be  ordered  to  call 
with  greater  regularity  at  C-ape  Fear,  as  a  means  of  more  fre- 
quent intercourse  with  England.* 

The  venerable  Governor  Dobbs  was  destined  never  to  leave 
North  Carolina.  In  the  Spring  of  1765  preparations  were 
made  by  him  to  embark;  and  the  Assembly  drew  up  an  ad- 
dress, in  which  were  expressed  regTet  at  parting  and  best 
wishes  for  the  speedy  restoration  of  his  health.  After  return- 
ing grateful  acknowledgments  for  these  kind  professions,  the 
Governor  began  placing  his  effects  in  readiness  to  ship,  when 
the  attendant  physician  gave  warning  that  "he  had  better  pre- 
]>are  himself  for  a  much  longer  voyag'e."  None  too  sofai 
came  the  admonition,  thus  bluntly  worded;  for  two  days 
thereafter,  on  Thursday,. the  2Sth  of  March,  death  brought  re- 
lief to  the  aged  ruler  and  wafted  his  spirit  to  that — • 

"Silent  shore. 
Where  Ijillows  never  break,  nor  tempests  ro.ar." 

And  when  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  there  was  not  a 
clergyman    within   a   hundred   miles   of   Brunswick,    so   the 

"Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VI,  pp.  1057-1060,  1291,  12S9-13C0,  1304.  1319. 


16  GOVERXOr.    TKYON 

Inirial  sei-vice  had  to  be  conducted  by  a  Justice  of  tbe  Peace. 

Lieutenant-Goveraor  Tryon  was  escorting  tbe  distinguisbed 
Britisb  soldier,  Lord  Adam  Gordon  (second  son  of  tbe  Duke 
of  Gordon),  tbrougb  North  Carolina  when  the  news  came 
that  Governor  Dobbs  bad  passed  away.  Having  been  au- 
rliorized  to  assume  temporary  control  of  the  govenunent  upon 
lhe  absence  or  death  of  his  superior,  Tryon  returned  to  Bruns- 
wick; and,  on  the  31st  of  March,  took  possession  of  tbe  great 
seal  of  tbe  province,  together  with  the  Govei'uor's  commis- 
sion and  other  documents  of  a  public  nature.* 

At  a  session  of  tbe  Provincial  Council,  held  in  Wilmington 
on  the  3d  of  April,  17G5,  tbe  oath  of  office  as  Governor  pro 
tempore  was  administered  to  Tryou,  Avbo  thereupon  issued  a 
proclamation  which  continued,  for  the  time  being,  all  official 
connnissions  then  in  force.  He  bad  written  to  the  Earl  of 
Halifax,  when  the  vacancy  first  occurred,  to  secure  that  noble- 
nwn's  influence  in  obtaining  a  permanent  appointment  as  Gov- 
ernor, and  it  will  be  seen  hereafter  that  this  effort  was  suc- 
cessful. 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  1320-1321;  Ibid.,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  2-5,  103. 


OF  NOETII   CAROLINA.  17 


CHAPTEE  II. 

GOVERNOR  TRYOX  RECOMJIENDS  NEW  BERN  FOR  THE  CAPI- 
TAL OF  THE  COLONY— IS  TAKEN  ILL— APPOINTED  PER- 
MANENT GOVERNOR— FRIENDLY  TO  DISSENTERS— REVER- 
END GEORGE  WHITEFIELD— RELIGIOUS  AND  EDUCATIONAL 
ADVANCEMENT— NORTH  CAROLINA  MOUNTAINS  AND  THE 
MOUNTAINEERS— THE  STAMP  ACT  PASSED. 

On  becomiug  temporary  Chief  Executive  of  the  province, 
Governor  Tryon  summoned  the  Legislature  to  meet  on  May 
2,  1765,  at  New  Bern.  As  is  well  kno\\ai,  this  town  was  set- 
tled by  Swiss  and  Gemian  palatines  brought  to  America  by 
Baron  Christopher  De  Graffenried.  To  Tryon,  however,  is 
due  the  credit  of  pointing  out  its  advantages  and  establishing 
there  the  seat  of  government.  In  a  letter  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  he  said  that  he  had  spent  two  months  in  a  tour  through 
tlie  province,  and  was  determined  in  the  opinion  that  public 
business  could  be  carried  on  nowhere  else  with  so  much  con- 
venience and  advantage  to  far  the  greater  part  of  the  inhab- 
itants.* 

During  the  Summer  and  Fall  of  1765,  Tryon  suffered  a  pro- 
tracted illness  which  he  said  was  the  compound  of  every  sort 
of  fever,  called  by  the  inhabitants  "the  seasoning  of  the  cli- 
mate." While  his  sickness  continued  he  received  the  King's 
commission  which  permanently  vested  him  with  the  governor- 
ship. This  document  was  issued  from  Westminster  on  the 
19th  of  July,  1765,  and  opened  before  the  Council  in  Wil- 
mington on  the  20th  of  December  following.     In  line  with 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU.  pp.  2,  5. 


18  ,  GOVERNOE  TEYON 

the  usual  custom,  a  proclamation  was  next  in  order  announc- 
ing the  aiopointment.* 

In  compliance  with  the  call  therefor,  the  Legislature  met 
at  New  Bern  on  May  3,  1765,  the  day  after  the  date  specified 
in  the  summons.  The  delay  was  caused  hy  the  lack  of  a 
quorum,  f  Immediately  after  his  commission  was  formally 
made  known,  Governor  Tryon  dissolved  this  Assembly  and 
issued  writs  of  election  for  another  session,  to  he  held  at  New 
Bern  in  April,  1766. 

The  town  of  New  Bern  soon  began  to  feel  good  effects 
from  the  new  Governor's  intention  to  make  it  the  capital  of 
the  province.  Thomas  Tomlinson  arrived  from  England  in 
1764 ;  and,  during  the  following  yeai",  was  enabled  to  establish 
a  school  which  accommodated  more  than  thirty  pupils.  His 
academy  was  legally  incoiijorated  by  Chapter  XIX  of  the 
Private  Laws  of  1766.  By  Chapter  XXVIII  of  the  Private 
Laws  of  1786,  when  the  Church  of  England  had  been  dis- 
established, the  Glebe  in  New  Bern  was  gi\-cn  to  this  school. 
A  few  years  after  the  New  Beni  Acadcnsy  began  operations 
a  school  in  Edenton  was  incorporated  by  Chapter  XXIII  of 
the  Laws  of  1770. 

Peligion,  too,  in  all  denominations,  obtained  a  finner  foot- 
hold after  the  arrival  of  Governor  Tryon.  Theretofore  no 
clerg;y'men  but  those  of  the  Church  of  England  had  been  au- 
thorized to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony.  By  Chapter  IX 
of  the  Laws  of  1766  Presbyterian  ministers  were  vested  with 
that  right.  It  is  generally  believed  that  Tiwon  ^vas  instru- 
mental in  securing  the  passage  of  the  act  just  mentioned. 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  Vll.  pp.  123,  133-134. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIF,  pp.  41,  61. 


OF   NOETII   CAROLINA.  V.) 

The  historian  Williamson — himself  a  Presbyterian — seems 
inclined  to  this  opinion.*  Other  denominations  were  not  in- 
cluded, as  none  bnt  Presbyterians  claimed  or  e.xercised  the 
power,  f 

Like  most  gentlemen  who  held  office  under  the  Crown, 
Tryon  was  an  adherent  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  he  used 
his  best  efforts  to  strengthen  its  establishment.  Taxes,  as  in 
England,  to  maintain  it,  were  collected  from  churchman  and 
dissenter  alike ;  bnt  beyond  an  approval  of  this  injustice  the 
Governor  never  went.  Doctor  Williamson,  in  his  History  of 
North  Carol ina,-i;.  remarks:  "It  was  fortunate  for  the  dis- 
senters that  Govenior  Tryon  was  not  a  bigot.  He  did  not  con- 
ceive that  a  vicious  life  could  be  expiated  by  persecutions  in 
favor  of  an  established  church ;  nor  did  he  believe  that  any 
worship,  in  form  or  substance,  could  be  acceptable  to  the  Su- 
preme Being  that  was  not  offered  up  with  an  approving 
heart." 

In  an  address  on  the  Church  of  England  in  the  Province  of 
North  Carolina,^  which  he  delivered  in  Calvary  Church, 
Tarborough,  1890,  at  the  celebration  of  the  centennial  of  the 
Diocese,  the  Eeverend  Joseph  Blount  Cheshire,  who  has  since 
become  Bishop  of  North  Carolina,  refers  to  Tryon  in  these 
words:  "With  the  administration  of  Governor  Tiyon  a  new 
era  of  activity  in  ecclesiastical  affairs  begins.  Gabriel  John- 
ston and  Arthur  Dobbs  were  both  zealous  churchmen,  but 
Tryon's  activity  in  seeking  to  advance  the  cause  of  the 
Church  and  of  religion  in  the  province  was  quite  beyond  any- 


*Williamson"s  History  of  N.  C.  Vol.  U,  pp.  118-119. 
tChurch  History  of  N.  C.  p.  80,  "ote. 
t  Williamson's  History  of  N.  C.  Vol.  11,  p.  118. 
§  Church  History  of  N.  C.  p.  75. 


20  GOVERNOR   TRYON 

thing  which  had  been  seen  before.  Yet  it  was  not  the  zeal 
of  a  mere  sectarian  bigotry.  All  our  historians  have  ad- 
mitted that  he  met  the  dissenting  interests  of  the  country  with 
a  generous  appreciation  and  tolerance  wliich  to  a  very  great 
extent  won  their  good-will.  Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  first 
Regulation  troubles  in  1768  the  Presbyterian  ministers 
imited  in  an  address  to  him,  in  which  they  declared  that  they 
had  the  highest  sense  of  the  justice  and  Ijenevolence  of  his 
administration,  under  which  they  say  that  they  enjoyed  all  the 
blessings  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  or  words  to  that  effect. 
They  also  put  forth  a  pastoral  letter  to  their  people,  quite  as 
ardent  in  its  expressions  of  loyalty  to  King  George  as  was 
Parson  Micklejohn's  sermon  before  the  troops  at  Hillsboro' 
ujxin  the  text,  'The  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God.' 
Governor  Tryon,  on  his  part,  always  speaks  of  the  Presby- 
terians, and  also  of  the  Quakers,  with  the  highest  respect. 
As  a  civil  administrator,  bred  in  the  school  of  military  disci- 
pline, he  had  less  respect  for  the  ruder  and  more  extravagant 
forms  of  religious  enthusiasm,  the  'Xew  Lights'  and  the 
'Separatists,'  who  were  becoming  so  nmaerous  in  some  quar- 
ters. But  no  complaint  has  come  down  to  us  from  any  reli- 
gious Ixidy  against  his  ecclesiastical  administration." 

Tiyon's  friendshij)  for  the  Lutherans  is  shown  by  tlie  fact 
that  he  and  "the  Honorable  Miss  Tryon"  (probably  his  sister) 
joined  in  a  subscription  to  aid  them  in  securing  a  minister  and 
a  school-master  for  their  congregation  in  the  county  of 
Rowan.* 

The  Moravians,  too,  came  in  for  a  full  share  of  Tryon's 
resjicct  and   admiration.     From   a   wi>rk,   by   the  Reverend 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII.  pp.  630-633. 


o 


OF  NORTH    CAROLINA.  21 

John  H.  Clewell,  entitled  the  Ilistori/  of  Wachovia*  we  have 
a  delightful  picture,  written  in  the  conniiiniity  diary  of  the 
Moravian  settlement  (in  what  is  now  Forsyth  county,  N"ortli 
Carolina),  when  that  place  was  visited  by  Governor  and  ^Irs. 
Tryon  in  September,  17(17.  The  entries  given  by  Doctor 
Clewell  were  made  originally  in  German  at  the  time  of 
Tryon's  sojourn,  and,  as  the  testimony  of  eye-witnesses,  are  of 
great  value  historically.  On  September  ISth  it  is  said  of 
the  visiting  party's  entry  into  the  town :  "As  the  company 
approached,  our  band  of  musicians  with  French  horns  and 
trumpets  greeted  them.  Half  an  hour  later  they  dined  in  the 
hall  of  the  single  brethren's  house,  the  musicians  furnishing 
music  while  they  sat  at  table.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
repast  the  governor,  accompanied  by  some  of  the  gentlemen 
of  the  party,  took  a  walk  through  the  village,  inspecting  the 
property,  the  stables  and  the  farm.  As  it  began  to  rain, 
they  returned  to  their  rooms.  In  the  meantime,  ]\Irs.  Tryon 
was  entertained  by  the  ladies  of  the  congregation,  she  con- 
versing with  them  in  a  charming  and  lovely  manner.  When 
comfortably  seated  in  the  room,  the  governor  had  a  long  and 
familiar  conversation  with  Gratf.  He  was  greatly  interested 
in  our  constitution  and  government."  On  the  following  day 
we  have  the  chronicle:  "After  having  breakfasted,  the  gov- 
ernor and  his  pai-ty  went  across  the  great  meadow  to  Salem. 
He  examined  everything  with  interest.  He  was  pleased  with 
the  regularity  of  the  streets,  and  the  care  with  which  every- 
thing is  laid  out.     When  we  returned  to  Bethabara,  dinner 

♦CleweU's  Historj'  of  Wachovia,  pp.  99-102. 


22  GOVEBNOE   TBYON 

was  served,  as  yesterday,  in  the  large  hall,  and  later  His  Ex- 
cellency examined  the  potter  shop).  The  party  then  went  to 
Bethania,  spending  some  time  at  the  mill.  In  the  evening 
we  were  again  in  Bethabara,  the  governor  having  expressed 
himself  as  greatly  pleased  with  what  he  saw.  As  he  passed 
and  greeted  the  young  people,  and  saw  them  in  front  of  the 
houses,  he  said  the  coimtry  would  be  blessed  in  these  happy 
children."  Of  Mrs.  Tryon  we  also  liave  an  attractive  view 
(Sunday,  September  20th)  from  the  same  source:  ''We  had 
arranged  for  a  quiet  afternoon  for  our  visitors,  but  Mrs. 
Tryon  expressed  a  desire  to  play  upon  the  organ ;  and  as  she 
played,  a  number  of  the  girls  sang.  This  pleased  her.  She 
later  requested  Graif  to  perform  on  the  organ,  and  he  did 
so.  By  this  time  the  governor  became  interested  in  the  mu- 
sic, and  came  to  the  meeting  hall  from  his  room.  An  hour 
was  pleasantly  passed  in  this  way."  Before  leaving  the 
Moravians,  Governor  Tryon  advised  them  to  secure  repre- 
sentation in  the  Legislature,  as  the  importance  of  their  com- 
munity fully  justified  such  a  privilege.  In  reply  he  was 
told  that  such  a  step  might  arouse  the  jealousy  of  otlier  sec- 
tions, but  his  answer  was  that  their  prosperity  would  probably 
arouse  envy  and  jealousy  whether  they  were  represented  or  not. 
On  the  21st  of  September,  Tryon  returned  to  Salisbury  from 
this  visit,  after  a  hearty  interchange  of  good  wishes  with  his 
hospitable  entertainers. 

One  missionary  of  the  Church  of  EiiglaJid,  writing  from 
!Sorth Carolina  in  1767, referred  to  Governor  Tryon  as  "by  in- 
clination, as  well  as  by  his  office,  the  defender  and  friend,  the 
patron  and  nursing  father  of  the  church  established  amongst 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  23 

US ;  a  religious  frequenter  of  its  worship  and  a  steady  adherent 
to  its  interest,  prepared  in  times  of  the  greatest  danger  and 
distress  to  suffer  with  and  for  it."""  This  extravagant  praise 
does  not  bear  out  the  statement  made  by  one  historian  that  the 
only  reason  for  Tryon's  tolerance  was  his  utter  indifference  to 
religion  in  general. 

Under  date  of  July  31,  17(55,  Governor  Tryon  wTote  to  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  with  reference  to 
religious  and  educational  matters,  a  letter  in  which  he  said 
that  if  the  Society  would  send  for  his  distribution  as  many 
well-bound  Bibles  and  Prayer  Books  for  the  ministers'  desks 
as  there  were  parishes,  it  would  have  a  better  effect  than  a 
ship-load  of  small  books  recommending  the  duty  of  a  Chris- 
tian ;  for  the  igiiorant  would  hear  their  duty  delivered  out  of 
the  fonner,  when  they  could  not  instruct  themselves  in  the  lat- 
ter. This  incapacity  was  dxie,  he  thought,  to  a  want  of 
schools  in  the  province,  which  consideration  impelled  him  to 
solicit  the  Society's  bounty  and  encouragement  to  Mr.  Tom- 
Hnson,  the  teacher  then  seated  at  jSTew  Bern.  The  Governor 
said  he  had  recently  held  a  long  conversation  with  Mr.  Tom- 
linson,  and  was  much  impressed  by  the  sense  and  decency 
of  his  behavior,  and  the  general  good  character  he  maintained. 
In  conclusion,  Tryon  remarked  that  he  could  not  close  his  let- 
ter without  acquainting  the  Society  that  the  Reverend  George 
Whitefield  had  preached  a  sennon  at  Wilmington  in  the  pre- 
ceding March  which  wouhl  have  done  him  honor  had  he  deliv- 
ered it  at  St.  James's,  allowing  some  little  alteration  of  cir- 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  p.  520 


24  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

cumstances  between  a  discourse  adapted  to  tlie  Royal  Chapel 
and  one  prepared  for  the  coiirt-honse  at  Wilmington.* 

In  the  above-mentioned  letter  Governor  Tryon  stated  that 
considerable  sums  of  money  had  been  subscribed  for  finish- 
ing the  churches  at  Wilmington  and  Brunswick,  and  he 
thought  both  would  be  completed  in  less  than  twelve  months. 
He  does  not  mention  that  he  himself  had  made  a  personal 
contribution  of  forty  guineas  toward  building  the  one  at 
Brunswick,  yet  such  was  the  case.f  The  walls  of  the  historic 
edifice  last  alluded  to,  St.  Pliilip's  Church,  are  still  standing 
at  old  Brunswick. 

In  his  work  entitled  Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Lower 
Cape  Fear.\  Mr.  James  Sprunt,  of  Wilmington,  says: 

"St.  Philip's  Church  was  built  of  large  brick  broiight  from 
England.  '  Its  walls  are  nearly  three  feet  thick  and  are  solid 
and  almost  intact  still,  the  roof  and  the  floor  only  luiving  dis- 
appeared. Its  dimensions  are  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  our 
modem  churches,  being  seventy-six  feet  six  inches  long,  fifty- 
three  feet  three  inches  wide,  standing  walls  twenty-four  feet 
four  inches  high.  There  are  eleven  windows,  measuring  fif- 
teen by  seven  feet,  and  three  large  doors.  It  must  have  pos- 
sessed unu'li  architectural  beauty  and  massive  grandeur  witli 
its  high-pitched  roof,  its  lofty  doors,  and  beautiful  chaucel 
windows. 

"Upon  the  fall  of  Fort  Fisher,  which  is  a  few  miles  to 
the  south-east  of  Orton,  in  1805,  the  Federal  troops  visited 
the  ruins  of  St.  Philip's,  and  with  jiick-axes  dug  out  the  cor- 

•  Colonial  Recortls  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  pp.  103-104. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH,  p.  164. 

X  Sprunt's  Tale.s  and  Traditions  of  the  Lower  Cape  Fear,  pp.  73-74. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  25 

ner-stone,  which  had  remained  undisturbed  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  years,  and  which  doubtless  contained  papers  of 
great  interest  and  value  to  our  people.  It  is  a  singular  fact 
that  during  the  ten-ific  bombardment  of  Fort  Anderson, 
which  was  erected  on  Orton,  and  which  enclosed  with  earth- 
works the  ruins  of  St.  Philip's,  while  many  of  the  tombs  in  the 
church-yard  were  shattered  and  broken  to  pieces  by  the  s.torm 
of  shot  ajid  shell,  tlie  walls  escaped  destruction;  as  if  the 
Power  Above  had  shielded  from  annihilation  the  building 
wliich  had  been  dedicated  to  His  seiwice. 

"This  sanctuary  has  long  been  a  neglected  ruin,  trees  of 
larger  growth  than  the  suiTounding  forest  have  grown  up 
within  its  roofless  walls,  and  where  long  years  ago  the  earnest 
prayer  and  song  of  praise  ascended  up  on  high,  a  solemn  still- 
ness reigns,  unbroken  save  by  the  distant  munnur  of  the  sea, 
wliich  ever  sings  a  requiem  to  the  buried  past." 

The  parish  in  Wilmington  (organized  in  17291  has  been 
more  fortunate  than  the  one  at  Brunswack,  and  is  still  in 
active  operation,  though  its  house  of  worship,  St.  James's 
Church,  is  not  the  same  which  was  used  in  the  days  of  Gov- 
ernor Tryon.  The  present  building  was  erected  many  years 
after  tlie  Revolution. 

To  what  we  have  said  concerning  Tryon's  efforts  to  ad- 
vance the  cause  of  education,  it  should  be  added  that  his 
exertions  were  not  designed  to  benefit  the  eastern  part  of  the 
province  alone.  In  a  message  to  the  Colonial  Legislature,  on 
December  5,  1770,  he  recommended  to  that  body  that,  as  soon 
as  funds  could  be  raised,  a  seminary  should  be  established  in 
the  back-country  settlements.*     In  reply,  the  Assembly  prom- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  285,  239,  312. 


26  GOVEK'S'OR  TIJYON 

ised  favorable  action  as  soon  as  the  state  of  the  public  finance 
justified  such  an  expenditure,  saying  that  an  institution  of 
this  character  was  very  much  to  be  desired,  as  morals  and 
good  government  largely  depended  upon  the  early  training 
given  citizens  of  a  country.  At  the  same  session,  by  Chapter 
III  of  the  Laws  of  1770,*  Queen's  College  (sometimes  called 
Queen's  Museum)  in  Charlotte  was  incorporated ;  and,  for  its 
support,  the  trustees  were  authorized  to  levy  and  collect  a 
duty  on  all  rum  and  other  spirituous  liquors  brought  into  and 
disj^osed  of  in  Mecklenburg  coimty.  The  trustees  of  this 
college  were  nearly  altogether  men  of  the  Presbyterian  faith, 
though  Edmund  Fanning  and  Abner  Nash,  two  members  of 
the  Church  of  England,  Avere  also  on  the  board.  Upon  be- 
ing submitted  for  the  approval  of  the  authorities  in  England, 
according  to  the  usual  procedure,  the  act  incorporating  this 
institution  was  annulled ;  and  another  act,  Chapter  IX  of  the 
Laws  of  1771  (later  passed  as  an  amendment),  became  of  no 
effect  in  consequence  thereof.  It  was  not  until  the  Revolu- 
tion upset  British  authority  that  the  desired  legislation  could 
be  made  effective.  Then,  by  Chapter  XX  of  the  Private  Laws 
of  1777  (April  session),  a  charter  was  obtained  vesting  the 
government  of  the  college  in  a  board  of  trustees,  on  which 
were  Thomas  Polk,  Adlai  Osborne,  Waightstill  Aveiy, 
Ephraiin  Brevard,  several  of  the  Alexanders,  and  many  other 
prominent  Presbyterians.  At  this  time  the  North  Caro- 
linians were  not  so  anxious  to  honor  royalty,  and  Queen's 
College  became  Liberty  Hall.  By  Chapter  XXIII  of  the 
Private  Laws  of   1778    (April  session)    all  moneys  coming 

*In  the  publication  of  Laws  only  the  caption  of  this  act  is  jrivcn.     For  full  text  see 
Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIH.  p.  486. 


OF    XOKTH    CAKOLIXA.  27 

from  the  sale  cif  town  lots  in  Charlotte  were  given  to  the  ■^ 
college.  Though  it  had  done  much  good  in  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation (for  it  ran  some  years  without  a  charter),  this  in- 
stitution did  not  long  siu'vivc  the  Revolution.  Chapter 
XXIX  of  the  Private  Laws  of  1784  (October  session)' 
changed  its  name  to  Salisbuiy  Academy,  and  it  was  then  re- 
moved to  Rowan  county.  We  find  the  Oshornes,  Brevards, 
Polks,  and  others  who  had  been  interested  in  Liberty  Hall, 
among  the  earliest  trustees  and  patrons  of  the  University  of 
Xorth  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill,  which  began  its  existence 
shortly  after  the  war. 

In  Liberty  Hall,  as  if  by  way  of  retribution  for  the  King's 
j)ast  injuries  to  it,  were  held  the  meetings,  in  1775,  which 
brought  forth  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Neither  the  remnants  of  this  college  nor  the  place  of  its  loca- 
tion seem  to  have  made  a  very  profound  impression  on  Gen- 
eral Washington  in  1791,  when  he  visited  that  part  of  North 
Carolina.  In  his  Dianj*  on  May  28th,  of  the  year  men- 
tioned, he  says:  "Charlotte  is  a  trifling  place,  though  the 
Court  of  Mecklenburg  is  held  in  it.  There  is  a  school 
(called  a  college)  in  which,  at  times,  there  has  been  fifty  or 
sixty  boys."  As  Washington,  according  to  a  well-known  ac- 
comit  handed  down  to  us  by  the  Reverend  Mason  L.  Weems, 
"could  not  tell  a  lie,"  perhaps  his  description  of  the  Char- 
lotte of  that  day  should  not  l)e  questioned ;  j'et,  could  the 
General  i-epeat  his  visit,  he  would  now  find  a  town  no  longer 
"trifling,"  but  enlightened  educationally  and  progressive  com- 
mercially.    And  it  may  be  here  mentioned  that  one  of  the 

*  Washington's  Diary  (edited  by  B.  J.  Lossing,  New  York,  ISCO),  p.  197. 


28  GOVEKNOE   TKYON 

principal  streets  of  Chariotte  is  called  for  Governor  Tryon. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  royal  approval  was  denied  the 
act  incorporating  Qneeu's  College  because  the  institution  was 
not  in  iniison  with  the  Church  of  England.  This  is  probably 
true ;  but  the  fact  that  Great  Britain  was  then  afflicted  \\'ith  a 
monarch  who  sometimes  over\vorked  himself  in  performing 
the  arduous  duties  devolving  upon  him  as  "Defender  of  the 
Faith"  was  not  the  fault  either  of  Tryon  or  the  North  Caro- 
lina Assembly. 

In  February,  1706,  Governor  Tn'on  became  a  member  of 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreigii 
Parts,  making  a  handsome  donation  in  money  to  that  organ- 
ization at  the  same  time.* 

One  of  the  most  laughable  jjictures  we  have  of  the  religious 
transactions  in  the  colony  about  the  year  1766  is  found  in  a 
letter  from  the  Eeverend  Charles  Woodmason,  of  the  Estab- 
lished Church,  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel.f  Among  other  things,  this  worthy  divine  says  that  wlien 
the  Presbyterians  saw  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  cope 
with  the  Church  of  England  along  the  sea-coast,  they  cramped 
its  usefulness  by  building  a  chain  of  meeting-houses  which 
hedged  it  off  from  the  back-country.  Then,  says  the  par- 
son, the  Almighty  allowed  the  Presbyterians  to  be  caught  in 
the  nets  they  set  for  others,  as  the  Baptists  came  down  from 
Pennsylvania  and  wormed  them  out  of  their  strong-holds; 
wherefore  the  rancor  between  the  two  sects  was  so  gTeat  tliat 
a  Presbyterian  would  prefer  having  ten  children  married  to 
members  of  the  Church  of  England  than  one  to  a  Baptist,  and 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  1G2. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VII,  p.  287. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  29 

the  same  was  true  of  the  antipathy  horno  l\y  the  Baptists  to- 
wards the  Presbj-terians.  As  a  consequence  of  these  jeal- 
ousies, said  he,  the  C'hiu-ch  of  England  was  reaping  great 
good ;  but,  with  some  misgivdiig,  he  adds :  "The  Baptists  have 
great  prevalence  and  footing  in  North  Carolina,  and  have 
taken  such  deep  root  that  it  will  require  long  time  and  pains 
to  grub  up  their  layers."  In  considering  this  statement,  we 
are  impressed  ^\^th  the  belief  that  the  reverend  gentleman 
did  not  overestimate  the  difficulties  his  church  had  to  en- 
counter ;  for,  even  at  the  present  writing',  the  foundations  or 
"layers"  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  North  Carolina 
have  not  been  entirely  grubbed  up,  and  what  further  amount 
of  "time  and  pains"  will  be  required  to  effect  that  end  is  diffi- 
cult to  estimate. 

We  shall  now  leave  the  churchmen  and  dissenters  to  their 
three-cornered  fight  and  take  a  look  at  the  mountainous  sec- 
tion of  the  province.  Though  somewhat  devoid  of  that  re- 
finement which  first  reached  the  sea-coast  counties,  the  in- 
habitants of  the  west  were  even  then  noted  for  their  self- 
reliance,  and  for  the  fearless  love  of  lil>erty  which  was  des- 
tined to  make  King's  Mountain  the  turning  point  in  Ameri- 
ca's gTeat  struggle  for  freedom,  fifteen  years  thereafter. 
Vivid,  indeed,  is  the  portrayal  both  of  locality  and  people 
given  in  1765  by  Attorney-General  Eobert  Jones,  junior 
(sometimes  known  as  Eobin  Jones),  wlio  had  recently  visited 
that  section  for  his  health.  To  Edmund  Fanning  he  wrote : 
"The  coiuitry,  I  suppose,  is  as  healthy  as  any  under  the  sun ; 
for  although  the  cold  is  very  intense  in  Winter,  occasioned  by 
the  north  side  of  the  mountains  being  continually  covered 


30  GOVEE^'OIl   TRYOX 

Avitli  snow  from  December  till  the  middle  of  March,  the 
weather,  I  am  told,  is  not  liable  to  those  sudden  changes  from 
hot  to  cold  that  we  experience  here,  and,  in  the  Summer,  the 
air  is  the  most  agreeable  medium  between  those  extremes  that 
can  be  conceived,  accomijanied  by  pleasant  breezes.  The  in- 
habitants are  hospitable  in  their  way,  live  in  plenty  and  dirt, 
are  stout,  of  gi'eat  prowess  in  manual  athletics;  and,  in  pri- 
vate conversation,  bold,  impertinent,  and  vain.  In  the  art  of 
war  (after  the  Indian  manner),  they  are  well-skilled,  are  en- 
terprising and  fruitful  of  strategies ;  and,  when  in  action,  are 
as  bold  and  intrepid  as  the  ancient  Romans.  The  Shawnese 
acknowledge  them  their  superiors  even  in  their  OAvn  way  of 
fighting.  The  land,  such  as  is  capable  of  cultivation,  is  fei'- 
tile  beyond  conception,  being  much  better  than  any  I  ever 
saw  before ;  but  of  that  there  is  a  vei^  small  proportion,  much 
the  greater  part  being  too  stony  and  baiTen.  It  may  be  truly 
called  the  land  of  niOTintains,  for  thej'  are  so  nmnerous  that 
when  you  have  reached  the  sununit  of  one  of  them,  you  may 
see  thousands,  of  every  shape  that  the  imagination  can  sug- 
gest, seeming  to  vie  with  each  other  which  should  raise  his 
lofty  head  to  touch  the  clouds.  The  mountains  and  valleys 
abound  with  medicinal  herbs  of  almost  every  kind,  and  there 
are  some  curious  flowers  and  other  curiosities  well  worth 
seeing.  There  ai-e  warm,  hot,  emetic,  and  sweet  springs, 
most  of  which  I  saw,  but  their  virtues  time  must  discover. 
However,  it  seems  to  me  that  nature  has  been  wanton  in  be- 
stowing her  blessings  on  that  countiy,  and  that  these  waters 
are  the  choicest  of  them."* 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  100-101. 


OF    NOKTH    CAKOLIXA. 


Reluctantly  departing  from  the  beautiful  scenes  so  graphi- 
cally depicted  by  the  above  writer,  Ave  shall  now  carry  our  nar- 
rative to  the  town  of  Brunswick,  on  the  Cape  Fear  river, 
where  Governor  Tryon  tarries  before  proceeding  to  'New 
Bern,  at  which  place  he  purposes  to  meet  the  uewly-elected  As- 
sembly. The  Parliament  of  Great  Britain  has  passed  the 
Stamp  Act ;  and  news  thereof  is  brought  to  ^North  Carolina, 
where  officers  of  the  Crown  hear  it  without  misgiving.  Little 
know  they  that  a  great  storm  is  brewing — the  pi-elude  to  a 
storm  still  greater,  which  will  sweep  every  vestige  of  royal 
rule  from  the  thirteen  colonies. 


32  GOVEKNOR    TKYON 


CHAPTER  III. 

atte:mpts  to  enforce  the  stamp  act— resistance  by 
the  colonists— armed  demonstration  against  the 
sloop  of  war  di  li  a  eyce— crew  of  the  sloop  viper 
captured  and  imprisoned— meeting  of  the  gov- 
ernor's councii^public  printer  suspended  from 
office— repeal  of  the  stamp  act— perfiojxel  of  the 
governor's  council. 

The  month  of  October,  in  1765,  was  marked  by  the  first  re- 
sistance offered  to  the  Stamp  Act.  Doctor  William  Hous- 
ton, a  resident  of  North  Carolina,  was  appointed  to  dis- 
tribute such  stamps  as  should  be  sent  into  the  province.  The 
sloop  of  Avar  Diligence,  which  brought  the  first — and  last — 
cargo,  uuili'r  that  hated  enactment,  arrived  at  Cape  Fear  on 
the  28th  of  jSTovember,  1765.*  Previous  to  this  time,  on 
October  10th,  about  five  hundred  people  had  assembled  in  the 
streets  of  Wilmington  and  hanged  in  effigy  "a  certain  hon- 
ourable gentlenmn,"  whose  name  does  not  appear  in  tlie 
North  Carolina  Ga-zetie,-]-  from  which  we  get  the  acco\mt 
The  reason  of  this  demonstration  was  tliat  the  gcntleuian 
in  question  had  expressed  himself  in  favor  of  the  stamp  duty. 
After  the  figure  was  cut  down  and  consigned  to  tlie  flames, 
all  male  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  brought  to  the  bonfire. 
Here  they  were  compelled  to  drink  the  toast :  "Liberty, 
])roperty,  no  stamp  duty,  and  confusion  to  Lord  Bute  and  all 
liis  adherents."  On  the  31st  of  the  same  month,  says  the  above 
paper,  a  great  number  of  peo]ile  again  assembled  "and  pro- 

•  A  Colonial  OOiccr  and  His  Times,  by  Alfred  Moore  Waddell,  p.  84. 
t  Reprinted  in  the  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII.  p.  123.  ct  seq. 


OF  NORTH   CAROLINA.  33 

cUiced  an  effigy  of  Liberty,  Avliicli  tliey  put  into  a  coffin  and 
marched  with  it  in  solemn  procession  to  the  churchyard,  a 
drum,  in  mourning,  beating  before  them,  and  the  town  bell, 
muffled,  ringing  a  doleful  knell  at  the  same  time.  But  be- 
fore they  committed  the  body  to  the  ground  they  thought  it 
advisable  to  feel  its  pulse ;  and,  when  finding  some  remains  of 
life,  they  returned  back  to  the  bonfire,  ready  prepared,  placed 
the  effigy  before  it  in  a  large  two-anned  chair  and  concluded 
the  evening  with  great  rejoicings  on  finding  that  Liberty 
had  still  an  existence  in  tlie  colonies." 

On  November  16th  it  was  the  fortune  of  Stamp-Master 
Houston  to  be  an  unwilling  participant  in  some  impressive 
ceremonies  in  connection  A\'ith  the  above  matters.  Imme- 
diately upou  his  coming  to  Wilmington,  three  or  four  hiin- 
dred  citizens,  with  drums  beating  and  colors  flying,  gathered 
at  the  house  where  he  lodged,  and  demanded  whether  he  would 
attempt  to  execute  his  office.  He  replied  that  he  would  be 
sorry  to  perfonu  any  duties  distasteful  to  the  people  of  the 
province.  ISTot  content  ■with  this  evasive  answer,  the  multi- 
tude carried  him  to  the  court-house,  where  he  was  compelled 
to  sign  a  paper  in  which  he  declared  that  he  woiild  never  at- 
tempt to  perform  the  duties  devolving  upon  him  as  Stamp- 
Master,  and  which  he  closed  mth  the  not  overtruthful  state- 
ment that  tliis  resignation  was  made  of  his  own  free-will  and 
accord.  "As  soon  as  the  Stamp  Officer  had  complied  with 
their  desires,"  says  the  newsj^aper  already  quoted,  "they 
placed  him  in  an  ann-chair,  carried  him  first  round  the  court- 
house, giving  him  three  huzzas  at  every  corner,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded with  him  round  one  of  the  squares  of  the  town  and  sat 


34  GOVEEXOP    TEYON 

him  down  at  the  door  of  his  lodgings,  formed  themeslves  in  a 
large  circle  around  him  and  gave  him  three  cheers.  They  then 
escorted  him  into  the  house,  where  was  prepared  the  best 
liquors  to  be  had,  and  treated  him  very  genteely.  In  the 
evening  a  large  bonfire  was  made,  and  no  person  appeared  on 
the  streets  without  having  'Liberty'  in  large  letters  on  his  hat. 
They  had  a  large  table  near  the  bonfire,  well  furnished  witli 
several  sorts  of  liquors,  where  they  drank  in  great  form  all  the 
favorite  American  toasts,  giving  three  cheers  at  the  conclusion 
of  each.  The  whole  was  conducted  with  great  decoinim,  and 
not  the  least  insult  was  offered  to  any  person." 

Verily,  these  bibulous  champions  of  liberty  M-erc  a  decorous 
set ;  and  the  above  circiunstances  go  to  show  that  on  one 
occasion,  at  least,  in  the  histoiy  of  North  Carolina,  matters 
were  so  arranged  as  to  avoid  the  complaint  (said  to  have  been 
made  at  a  conference  of  Governors  in  after  years)  that  it 
was  "a  long  time  between  drinks." 

In  addition  to  the  above  account  in  the  Gazette,  its  editor, 
Andrew  Stuart,  gives  a  tale  of  woe  in  relating  his  personal 
experiences.  He  was  visited  by  a  committee  which  de- 
manded whether  or  not  he  would  continue  his  business  as 
heretofore  and  piiblish  a  newspaper.  lie  replied  that  ho 
could  not  lawfully  do  so  withoiit  stamped  paper,  and  he  had 
none.  Then  followed  threats  of  violence,  when  he  said  that, 
rather  than  run  the  hazard  of  his  life,  of  being  maimed,  or 
having  his  printing-office  destroyed,  he  would  issue  his  paper 
as  usual. 

In  his  Field  Booh  of  the  11  evolution''''''  I^ssiug  gives  a  de- 

•Lossing's  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution  (edition  1851-'52),  Vol.  IT.  p.  877  (priving  illus- 
trations). 


OF  NOKTII   CAKOLIXA.  35 

scriptioii  of  the  stamps  sent  to  America.  He  says  the  impres- 
sion was  made  upon  dark  blue  paper  (similar  in  appearance 
to  that  now  coimnonly  known  as  tobacco  paper),  to  which  was 
fastened  a  narrow  strip  of  tin-foil.  The  ends  of  the  foil  were 
passed  through  the  parchment  or  paper  to  which  the  stamp 
was  to  be  attached,  then  flattened  on  the  opposite  side ;  and  a 
piece  of  paper,  with  the  rough  device  and  number  of  the 
stamp,  pasted  on  to  secure  it.  The  device  was  a  double  Tu- 
dor rose,  enclosed  by  the  Royal  Garter.  Above  this  was  a 
crown,  and  below  was  named  the  money  value  of  the  stamp. 

Seeing  the  serious  turn  affairs  had  taken,  Governor  Tryon 
sent  out  a  circular-letter  to  the  principal  gentry  of  the  Cape 
Fear  section,  inviting  them  to  a  conference  at  his  house  near 
Bi-unswick  on  the  18th  of  Xovcmljcr,  1705.*  AVlicn  they 
came  in  response  to  his  summons,  he  addressed  them  at  some 
Icng-th  on  the  events  of  recent  occuiTence  and  exhorted  obe- 
dience to  the  decrees  of  Parliament.  The  right  of  Great  Bri- 
tain to  tax  the  colonies,  he  said,  would  not  constitute  his 
theme  of  discussion,  but  that  he  hoped  no  one  desired  to 
destroy  dependence  on  the  mother  country.  He  then  dwelt 
on  the  advantages  that  would  result  from  North  Carolina's 
acceptance  of  the  law,  saying  that  her  commerce  would  there- 
upon extend,  while  the  rural  colonies  were  obstructing  their 
own  trade  by  a  refusal  to  take  the  stamps.  As  a  further  in- 
ducement, he  offered  to  pay,  at  his  own  exj^ense,  the  duty 
on  all  stamped  paper  on  which  he  was  entitled  to  fees.  Nor 
was  this  amount  inconsiderable,  for  it  included  fees  on  land- 
patents,  testimonials,  injunctions  in  chancery,  marriage  li- 
censes, and  letters  of  administration;  on  four  wine  licenses 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH.  pp.  127-131. 


36  GOVEENOE    TEYOIf 

each  for  the  towns  of  Edenton,  New  Beni,  Wibniugton,  Salis- 
bury, and  Halifax ;  two  each  for  Brunswick  and  Cross  Creek 
(now  Fayetteville)  ;  and  one  each  for  Bath  and  Tarborough. 
Though  recognizing  the  generosity  of  his  offer,  it  soon  became 
evident  that  the  men  whom  Tryon  consulted  were  contending 
more  for  principle  than  for  money.  After  due  consultation 
they  returned  acknowledgments  for  the  privilege  of  a  con- 
ference with  the  Governor,  and  declared  that  Tryon's  known 
sincerity  left  no  room  to  doubt  his  professions.  They  also  re- 
cognized, so  the  reply  stated,  that  his  family  influence,  for- 
tune, and  other  interests  in  England  would  always  give 
weight  to  remonstrances  which  he  might  make  in  behalf  of 
the  province.  Then  referring  to  the  Stamp  Act,  the  convic- 
tion was  expressed  that  every  view  of  it  confirmed  them  in 
the  opinion  that  it  was  most  dangerous  to  their  liberties  as 
British  sidtjects.  To  the  King  they  promised  every  act  of 
loyalty  and  obedience  consistent  with  the  rights  of  a  free 
people.  As  to  the  Governor's  offer  to  pay  the  fees,  they  said 
that,  with  an  approval  of  part,  they  could  not  deny  the  act's 
validity  as  a  whole.  Assurances  were  also  given  that  every 
effort  should  be  used  to  prevent  insult  and  violence  to  officers 
of  the  Crown,  except  distributors  of  stamps,  who,  they  said, 
were  too  much  detested  to  be  secure  from  the  resentment  of 
the  colonists.  In  conclusion  they  expressed  a  desire  to  pi'O- 
mote  the  mutual  interests  of  Great  Britain  and  the  colonies, 
and  to  render  Tryon's  adminisi ration  liai>py,  easy,  iind  Imn- 
orable. 

As  noted  in  the  beginning  of  this  chai)ter,  the  sloop  of  war 
Diligence  brought  a  cargo  of  stamped  paper  to  the  Cape  Fear 


OF   NORTH    CAROLINA. 


37 


on  N'ovember  28,  17G5.  General  Hugh  Waddell's  descend- 
ant and  biogTapher,  the  Honorable  Alfred  IMoore  Waddell, 
in  his  work  entitled  A  Colonial  Officer  and  His  Times*  has 
given  a  graphic  acconnt  of  her  reception,  as  follows : 

"Twelve  days  afterward  the  Diligence  arrived  in  the  Cape 
Fear  river  with  the  stamps,  and  the  welcome  which  awaited 
her  captain  must  have  astonished  him.  His  name  was 
Phipps,  and  his  vessel  was  a  twenty-gim  sloop  of  war,  which 
was  cruising  off  the  coast  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas.  He 
brought  the  stamps  from  Virginia,  whither  they  had  been  sent 
from  England,  and,  doiibtless,  anticipated  no  trouble  what- 
ever in  delivering  them  to  the  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Bruns- 
wick. The  idea  of  resistance  of  any  kind  probably  never 
occurred  to  him,  and  the  suggestion  of  armed  defiance  on  the 
part  of  the  people  on  shore  would  have  seemed  the  wildest 
absurdity  to  a  commander  of  one  of  His  Majesty's  war  ships. 

"Comfortably  pacing  his  deck,  as  the  gallant  sloop,  with 
colors  flying  and  all  her  canvas  set,  glided  eourtesying  across 
the  bar  like  a  fine  lady  entering  a  drawing-room,  the  captain 
was  doubtless  already  enjoying  in  anticipation  the  sideboard 
and  table  refreshments  that  awaited  him  in  the  hospitable 
mansions  of  the  Cape  Fear  planters,  and  eager  to  stand,  gim 
in  hand,  by  one  of  the  tall  pines  of  Brunswick  and  watch  the 
coming  of  the  antlcred  monarch  of  the  forest  before  the  inspir- 
ing music  of  the  hounds. 

"As  the  Diligence  bowls  along  'with  a  bone  in  her  mouth' 
across  the  ruffled  bosom  of  the  beautiful  bay  into  which  the 
river  expands  opjwsite  Fort  Johnston,  a  puff  of  white  smoke 

*  A  Colonial  Officer  and  His  Times,  p.  86.  et  seq. 


38  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

leaps  from  lier  port  quarter,  followed  by  a  roar  of  salutation 
from  one  of  her  guns;  an  answering  thunder  of  welcome 
comes  from  the  fort,  and  the  proud  ship  walks  the  waters 
towards  the  town  of  Brunswick,  eight  miles  farther  up  the 
river  towards  Wilmington.  An  hour  later  she  sights  the 
town,  and  a  little  while  afterwards,  with  a  graceful  sweep 
and  a  rushing  keel,  she  gi-adually  puts  her  nose  in  the  wind  as 
if  scenting  trouble ;  and  then,  at  the  shrill  sound  of  the  boat- 
swain's whistle,  the  growling  chains  release  the  anchor  from 
its  long  suspense,  and  the  Diligence  rests  opposite  to  the  Cus- 
tom House  of  Brunswick,  with  her  gTinning  port-holes  open 
and  all  her  guns  exposed.  Then  her  rigging-blocks  chuckle 
as  she  lowers  and  clews  her  sails,  and  she  rides  at  her  moor- 
ings beneath  the  flag  of  the  Mistress  of  the  Seas. 

"The  captain  at  once  observes  that  the  little  town  seems  to 
be  unusually  lively  and  ex]^)ectant.  He  soon  discovers  the 
cause.  A  considerable  body  of  armed  men  occupy  the  streets 
and  line  the  shore.  Presently  he  is  informed  that  Colonel 
Hugh  Waddcll,  an  experienced  soldier,  who  had  been  on  the 
lookout  for  the  Diligence  with  the  militia  of  Brunswick 
county,  had  notified  Colonel  Ashe  of  iSTew  Hanover  of  his 
movements ;  and  these  two  gentlemen,  with  the  anned  militia 
of  both  counties,  confronted  him  and  infonned  him  that  they 
would  resist  the  landing  of  the  stamps  and  would  tire  on  any 
one  attempting  it. 

"Here  was  one  of  His  Majesty's  twenty-gun  sloops  of  war 
oj^enly  defied  and  threatened  by  British  subjects  armed  and 
drawn  up  in  battle  array.  Here  was  treason,  open,  flagrant 
and  in  the  broad  light  of  day — treason,  armed  and  led  by 


OF  NORTH   CAROLINA.  39 

the  most  distingiusbcd  soldier  of  the  province  and  the  Speaker 
of  the  Assembly. 

"The  captain  of  the  Diligence  prudently  concluded  that  it 
would  be  folly  to  attempt  to  land  the  stamps  in  the  face  of 
such  a  threat,  backed  by  such  force,  and  promised  a  compli- 
ance with  the  demands  of  the  people.  The  'Sons  of  Liberty,' 
as  they  were  afterwards  called,  then  seized  oue  of  the  boats  of 
the  Diligence,  and,  leaving  a  guard  at  Brunswick,  marched 
with  it  mounted  on  a  cart  to  Wilmington,  where  there  was  a 
triumphal  procession  through  the  streets,  and  at  night  a  gen- 
eral illumination  of  the  town." 

In  addition  to  his  o^Ta  account  of  the  above  transaction, 
Mr.  Waddell  quotes  another  writer,  the  Honorable  George 
Davis,  who  sa^^s:  "This  was  more  than  ten  years  l^efore  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  more  than  nine  before  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  and  nearly  eight  years  before  the  Boston 
'Tea  Party.'  The  destruction  of  the  tea  was  done  in  the 
night  by  men  in  disguise.  And  history  blazons  it,  and  New 
England  boasts  of  it,  and  the  fame  of  it  is  world-wide.  But 
this  other  act,  more  gallant  and  daring,  done  in  open  day  by 
well-kno^\-ll  men,  with  arms  in  their  bauds,  and  under  the 
King's  flag — who  remembers,  or  who  tells  of  it  ?" 

The  full  name  of  the  commander  of  the  Diligence  was 
Constantine  Jolin  Pliipps.*  He  was  a  distinguished  naval 
officer  and  Arctic  explorer,  the  son  of  an  Irish  nobleman, 
Baron  Mulgrave,  of  j!^ew  Boss,  C-oimty  Wexford.  Upon 
the  death  of  his  father.  Captain  Phipps  succeeded  to  the  title 

"Compare  Burke's  Peerage  (1895  edition),  pp.  1C63-1064,  with  sig-nature  to  Phipps's 
letter  in  A  Colonial  Officer  and  Hi3  Times,  by  Waddell.  p.  113;  for  portrait  and  sketch  of 
Captain  Phipps  (Lord  Mulgravc)  see  Quebec  periodical  entitled  North  American  Notes 
and  Queries,  July.  19C0.  Vol.  I,  pp.  56,  61. 


40  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

and  was  himself  later  raised  to  the  jjeerage  of  the  United 
Kingdom  as  Baron  Mulgrave,  of  Mnlgrave,  County  York. 
lu  one  of  his  exploring  expeditions  the  future  Admiral  Nel- 
son was  a  coxswain.  Lord  Mulgrave  was  in  active  service 
against  America  during  the  Revolution,  as  was  also  his 
brother  and  successor,  Henry,  aftei"Avards  created  Earl  of 
MulgTave  and  Marquis  of  Nonnanby.  These  titles  are  at 
present  vested  in  the  Marquis  of  Normanby,  a  descendant  of 
the  last  named. 

One  of  the  shrewdest  acts  of  Tryon's  administration  in 
North  Carolina  was  the  prevention  of  all  meetings  of  the 
Assembly  during  the  Stamp  Act  disputes.  More  than  a  year 
and  a  half— from  May  18,  17G5,  till  November  3,  17G6— 
elapsed  between  two  sessions.  Having  the  right  either  to 
prorogue  or  dissolve  that  body  whenever  he  saw  fit,  this  power 
was  freely  exercised.  Hence,  when  the  Stamp  Act  Con- 
gress (composed  of  delegates  from  nearly  all  the  provinces) 
convened  in  New  York  on  October  7,  1765,  North  Carolina 
was  not  a  party  thereto,  as  the  Assembly,  not  being  in  ses- 
sion, could  not  provide  for  the  colony's  rei3resentation — "an 
explanation  of  the  absence  of  such  delegates,"  says  the  biogi'a- 
pher  of  General  Waddell,  "which  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
knovi'u  to  writers  who  have  igiiorantly  criticised  the  State  for 
a  want  of  spirit  at  that  timc."f 

Though  at  times  powerless  to  cope  with  the  resistance 
offered  the  measures  of  the  home  government,  Ti-yon  was  a 
man  of  strong  determiuatinn  and  bent  every  energy  to  carry 


*  For  full  record  of  prorogations  and  digsolutions,  see  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol. 
Vn,  pp.  87-88.  118.  135.  188.  342. 
tA  Colonial  Officer  and  His  Times,  by  Alfred  Moore  Waddoll.  p.  82. 


OF    NOETH    CAEOLINA.  41 

out  the  decrees  of  Parliament.  At  that  time  Cape  Fear  was 
said  to  he  the  ouly  spot  on  the  continent  where  vessels  were 
actually  seized  by  the  British  authorities  for  non-compliance 
with  the  laws  concerning  stamps,  and  it  was  soon  learned  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Cape  Fear  would  be  about  the  last  people 
on  the  continent  to  tamely  submit  to  such  a  state  of  affairs. 
On  the  ISth  of  February,  1766,  the  colonists  drew  up  and 
signed  an  agTeement  Avhich  avowed  the  utmost  loyalty  to  the 
King,  yet  declared  the  Stamp  Act  an  infringement  on  the 
constitutional  rights  transmitted  to  the  people  of  America  by 
their  brave  forefathers,  and  i>ledged  the  united  action  of 
the  signers  to  prevent  entirely  the  operation  of  that  law.* 
The  parties  to  this  compact  were  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity 
of  Cape  Fear.  On  Febmary  19th  they  marched  to  Bruns- 
wick, where  their  force — according  to  one  estimate — was  aug- 
mented by  upwards  of  a  thousand  men.  At  Brunswick  news 
was  received  that  several  hundred  more  would  soon  arrive.f 
In  order  to  remove  any  misapprehension  in  the  mind  of  Gov- 
ernor Try  on,  two  of  the  party  (George  Moore  and  Cornelius 
Harnett)  were  deputed  to  wait  on  him  and  deliver  a  letter 
which  said  that  no  disrespect  or  insult  shoiild  be  offered  his 
person  ;  but  that,  being  dissatisfied  with  the  restrictions  which 
were  laid  on  their  river  commerce,  the  force  assembled  was 
going  for  a  conference  with  the  commanding  officers  of  His 
Majesty's  war  ships  with  the  hoj^e  of  obtaining  a  peaceable 
redress  of  their  grievances.:]:  This  letter  was  signed  by  John 
Ashe,  Thomas  Lloyd,  and  Alexander  Lillington.     An  offer 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  p.  168c. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU.  p.  168d. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  p.  178-179. 


42  GOVEENOE    TETON 

was  also  made  by  this  committee  of  three  to  place  a  special 
guard  for  the  protection  of  the  Governor,  but  the  proposition 
was  contemptuously  rejected,  Tryon  saying  he  had  no  fears 
for  his  person  or  property,  and  hoped  their  protection  would 
not  be  given  where  it  was  neither  needed  nor  desired. 

When  a  conference  was  finally,  held  by  the  colonists  with  the 
Collector  of  Customs  and  rauliing  naval  officer,  those  func- 
tionaries agreed  that  no  further  restrictions  should  be  placed 
on  the  port  unless  u]K)n  the  order  of  the  Sun-eyor-Geueral  of 
Customs  when  that  officer  should  arrive.* 

At  one  time  during  the  troubles  at  Wilmington  a  general 
muster  was  ordered  in  the  town,  and  the  Governor  sought  to 
win  over  the  militia  by  having  an  ox  barbecued.  He  also 
opened  several  barrels  of  beer  for  their  entertainment ;  but  the 
people  rose  in  riot  and  "made  a  Douglas  Larder  of  the  feast  by 
dumping  the  ox  into  the  river  and  knocking  out  the  heads  of 
the  beer  barrels,  f 

On  the  21st  of  February  a  committee  was  sent  for  William 
Pennington,  the  Comptroller  of  Customs,  William  D17,  the 
Collector  of  the  Port,  and  Thomas  McGuire,  an  offi.eer  of  the 
Admiralty  Department,  with  all  of  whom  a  consultation  was 
desired.  The  two  last  named  made  their  appearance,  but 
Pennington  sought  refuge  with  the  Governor.  One  of  the 
party.  Colonel  James  Moore,  thereupon  went  to  summon  him, 
and  Tryon  made  answer  that  he  had  hiuiself  detained  Mr. 
Penniug-ton,  who  was  engaged  with  dispatches  in  relation  to 
the  King's  service ;  but  that  any  person  desiring  to  consult 
iiiiii  might  attend  for  that  purpose.      Thereupon  a  company 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VII,  p.  lesd. 
t  Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II.  p.  2U. 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  43 

of  men  went  to  the  Governor's  house  and  by  threats  of  enter- 
ing and  capturing-  Pennington  by  force  (also  promising  safety 
if  be  vohintarily  complied),  finally  prevailed  on  him  to  come 
out.  Then  marching  off,  they  formed  a  circle,  in  tlie  center 
of  which  he  and  the  other  customs  officers  were  placed,  and 
eompelled  them  to  make  a  solemn  oath  that  they  would  not 
cither  directly  or  indirectly  attempt  to  execute  the  duties  of 
their  respective  offices,  in  so  far  as  stamped  papers  were  con- 
cerned. All  court  officers  and  lawyers  present  were  sworn  to 
the  same  effect.* 

In  giving  an  account  of  the  above  affair  to  the  home  gov- 
ernment, Tryon  said  that,  from  the  best  accounts  he  could 
get,  the  force  in  arms  amounted  to  about  five  hundred  and 
eighty,  with  an  additional  hundred  imarmed.  He  added  that 
the  Mayor  and  coriwration  officers  of  Wilmington,  with  some 
masters  of  vessels  and  nearly  all  of  the  planters  and  other 
inhabitants  of  Brunswick,  New  Hanover,  Duplin,  and  Bladen 
counties  coui posed  this  corps,  f 

On  visiting  Fort  Johnston,  the  Governor  had  the  mortifica- 
tion to  find  that  the  commandant,  Captain  John  Dalrymple, 
had  pennitted  all  of  the  guns  to  be  spiked.  This  was  done 
by  order  of  Captain  Jacob  Lobb  of  the  sloop  Viper,  to  whose 
commands  Tryon  had  directed  Dalrymple  to  hold  himself  sub- 
ject. The  armament  thus  temix)rarily  disabled  consisted  of 
twenty-three  swivel-gims,  eight  eighteen-pounders,  and  eight 
nine-poimders.  Lobb  was  sharply  reprimanded  by  Tryon  for 
his  action  in  this  matter,  but  justified  himself  by  declaring  he 
had  received  word  that  several  hundred  men  were  approach- 

*  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  168e. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  174. 


4-1:  CxOVERNOR    TEYON 

ing,  led  by  Colonel  Hugh  Waddoll,  who  purposed  to  take  pos- 
session of  tlie  fort,  which  was  then  garrisoned  by  only  five 
men  and  the  commanding  officer.  There  was  danger,  said 
Lobb,  that  the  guns  would  be  captui-cd  and  brouglit  to  bear 
on  such  of  His  Majesty's  shijjs  as  were  within  range.*  The 
officer  who  carried  out  the  order  for  spiking  the  guns  was 
Lieutenant  Calder,  then  attached  to  the  Diligence,  imder 
Captain  Phipps.f  He  is  believed  to  have  been  that  Admiral 
Sir  Robert  Calder  who  afterwards  figured  in  naval  warfare 
against  the  French. 

Captain  Dalrymple,  mentioned  above,  was  an  officer  in  the 
British  army,  stationed  in  North  Carolina  for  some  years. 
He  died  in  the  province,  at  Fort  Johnston,  on  the  13th  of 
July,  1766.:}:  His  will  was  made  in  17-43,  twenty-six  years 
before  his  death,  and  is  now  on  file  in  North  Carolina.  In 
it  he  designates  himself  "second  lawful  son  to  Sir  John  Dal- 
lymple  of  Cowsland,  Baronet,  of  the  Kingdom  of  Scotland." 
The  latter  was  a  grandson  of  John  Dalrymple,  fii'st  Viscount 
Stair,  and  nephew  of  the  second  Viscount  (later  created  Earl 
of  Stair),  both  of  whom  were  conspicuous  figures  in  the  royal 
councils  of  their  day. 

Before  the  Stamp  Act  dispute  was  settled  the  people  of  Wil- 
mington had  not  been  altogether  inactive.  Provisions  on 
board  the  Vipej-  began  to  run  low,  and  a  boat  was  sent  to 
bring  an  additional  supply.  The  citizens  refused  to  furnish 
this,  and  complacently  dumped  the  Iwat's  crew  into  jail.     In 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH,  p.  180,  et  ecq. 

t  A  Colonial  OfTiccr  and  His  Times,  by  A.  M.  Waddell.  pp.  112-113;  Alfred  Moore  Waddell 
in  North  Carolina  Booklel  for  July,  1901,  p.  21. 

} Colonial  Recorila  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  40,  91,  24),  24G.  445;  Slate  Records  of  N.  C. 
Vol.  XI.  pp.  1D4-15S;  North  Carolina  Historical  and  Genealoeical  Register.  Vol.  I,  p.  201. 


or    NORTH    CAROLIXA.  45 

response  to  Tryon's  inquiry  concerning  this  action,  Moses 
John  DeRosset,  the  patriotic  Mayor  of  Wilmington,  replied 
that  gentlemen  of  the  Cape  Fear  section  of  the  province  had 
assembled  to  redress  their  grievances ;  and,  hearing  that  Cap- 
tain Lobb  was  seizing  merchant  vessels  which  were  without 
stamped  papers,  had  determined  to  cut  off  supplies  from  the 
men  of  war  until  these  ojiprcssive  measures  ceased.  Seizures 
by  the  government  were  made,  said  Mayor  DeRosset,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  nuisters  of  vessels  produced  certifi- 
cates that  no  stamped  papers  could  be  obtained  at  the  ports 
from  which  they  sailed.  In  conclusion,  he  added  that,  since 
the  local  ofiicers  had  come  to  terms,  sufficient  provisions  would 
now  be  forwarded,  and  the  Governor  might  rest  assured  that 
all  eiforts  woiild  be  made  to  sustain  His  Majesty's  seiwice.* 

The  Governor's  Council  met  at  Brunswick  on  the  26th  of 
Febmary,  1766.  By  advice  of  that  body,  Tryon  issued  a 
proclamation  denouncing  the  late  assemblages  of  the  people.f 
He  also  suspended  the  Public  Printer,  Andrew  Stuart,  for 
having  published  a  communication  whicli  was  considered 
inflammatory. 

Thwarted  at  every  turn.  Governor  Tryon  at  one  time  had 
contemplated  calling  on  the  Crown  for  a  military  and  naval 
force  to  uphold  his  authority.  But  soon,  by  a  communica- 
tion dated  Mai-ch  31,  1766  (though  not  received  until  some 
weeks  later),  notification  came  that  tlie  Stamp  Act  had  been 
repealed.:};  Furthermore,  persons  who  had  suffered  by  its 
operations  were  indemnified  for  their  losses.     Then  followed 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH,  pp.  185-186. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VH,  p.  187. 

J  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII.  pp.  189,  193,  202,  217. 


46  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

eoiigratiilatioiis  from  tlie  corjioration  officers  of  Wilmingtou, 
to  which  Tryon  returned  a  polite  but  rather  stilted  acknowl- 
edgment. Another  address,  by  way  of  a  remonstrance,  soon 
followed,  in  which  it  was  said  that  moderation  had  ceased  to 
be  a  virtue  when  their  rights  as  British  subjects  were  igniored  ; 
but  that  the  prudent  action  of  Parliament,  in  repealing  the 
law,  had  relieved  them  from  the  unpleasant  dilemma.*  As- 
surances were  also  given  that  they  knew  His  Excellency's 
conduct  had  always  been  regulated  by  no  motive  other  than 
a  generous  concern  for  the  j^ublic  good.  With  this  the  Gov- 
ernor was  more  appeased,  and  gracioiisly  declared  that  he 
stood  ready  to  forget  all  improprieties  of  -which  the  town  and 
its  people  had  been  guilty.  In  conclusion,  he  thanked  the 
gentlemen  for  characterizing  as  false  an  attack  recently  made 
upon  him  by  a  Barbadoes  newspaper. 

The  Council  of  the  Province,  appointed  by  the  King  when 
Tryon  was  made  Governor,  consisted  of  James  Hasell,  John 
Rutherford,  Lewis  Henry  DeRosset,  Edward  Brice  Dobbs, 
Richard  Spaight,  John  Sampson,  Henry  Eustace  McCulloh, 
Alexander  McCulloh,  Charles  Ben-y,  William  Dry,  Robert 
Palmer,  and  Benjamin  Heron.f  Of  these,  Dobbs  was  an 
officer  in  the  British  anuy,  the  son  of  Governor  Dobbs,  and 
had  seen  service  in  the  French  and  Indian  War.  He  left  the 
province  al)out  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  and  his  prop- 
erty in  North  Carolina  was  confiscated  during  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

Spaight  died  in  North  Carolina  1i(-fore  Tryon  arrived.  He 
was  a  son  of  George  Spaight,  who  married  a  niece  of  Gov- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH,  pp.  222-223.  2-12-243. 
1  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VU,  p.  137. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA. 


47 


ernor  Dobbs:  hence  Richard  Spaight  was  a  great-nephew  of 
the  last  named,  and  not  his  nephew,  as  has  always  been 
stated  in  North  Carolina  histories.  From  him  sprang  Gov- 
ernor Richard  Dobbs  Spaight,  senior,  and  Governor  Richard 
Dobbs  Spaight,  junior,  each  of  whom  became  Chief  Magis- 
trate of  North  Carolina  after  independence  was  achieved. 
The  elder  Governor  Spaight  was  also  a  member  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress,  and  fell  in  a  duel  with  the  Honorable  John 
Stanly  of  New  Bern  on  September  5,  1S02. 

Of  the  other  councilors  mentioned  above,  Hasell  was  also 
Chief  Justice  and  became  Governor  ex  officio,  as  President 
of  the  Cbimcil,  in  1771.  Rutherford  (who  married  the 
A^dow  of  Govei-nor  Gabriel  Johnston)  was  broiight  to  North 
Carolina  by  his  cousin,  James  Murray,  in  1739.  He  served 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War ;  and  was  a  loyalist  diu-ing  the 
Revolution,  as  were  also  Hasell,  DeRosset,  and  Henry  Eus- 
tace McCailloh,  though  the  last  named  was  not  in  America 
when  the  war  was  in  progress.  Alexander  McCulloh  lived 
in  Halifax  county.  Of  Henry  Eustace  McCulloh  later 
mention  will  be  made  in  this  work.  DeRosset  belonged  to 
an  old  Huguenot  family,  still  extant  in  the  Cajje  Fear  sec- 
tion, and  his  loyalty  to  the  House  of  Hanover  was  largely- 
due  to  gratitude  for  the  protection  rendered  his  ancestors 
when  they  were  exiled  from  France.  He  was  a  brother  of 
Moses  John  DeRosset,  to  whom  we  have  already  had  occasion 
to  refer.  It  is  from  the  latter  that  the  present  DeRosset 
family  is  descended. 

Berry,  another  member  of  the  Council,  died  by  his  own 
hand  in  a  fit  of  insanity.*     He  had  been  made  Chief  Justice 

"  For  correct  account,  see  A  Colonial  Officer  and  His  Times,  pp.  127-129,  note. 


48  GOVEKXOR    TEYON 

(vice  Peter  Henley,  deceased)  by  tlic  King's  commission, 
lx!ai-ing  date  November  27,  1758,  bnt  did  not  arrive  in  the 
colony  till  the  Fall  of  the  year  following.  He  took  the  oath 
of  office  as  Chief  Justice  before  Governor  Dobbs  on  the  6th  of 
December,  1759.  His  service  as  a  member  of  the  Council  also 
began  during  the  administration  of  Governor  Dobbs.  After 
the  death  of  Henley,  and  before  Berry's  arrival  in  America, 
James  Hasell  was  Chief  Justice  jn-o  tempore.  Descendants 
of  Chief  Justice  Beii-y  ai-e  still  living  in  North  Carolina. 

Sampson's  name  is  preserved  by  a  North  Carolina  comity 
called  in  his  honor.  Heron  died  before  the  Kevolution,  about 
1770.  When  the  war  came  on.  Dry  became  a  supjiorter  of 
the  American  cause  and  occupied  a  seat  at  the  council-board 
of  the  whig  Governor.  Palmer  was  probably  born  in  North 
Carolina.*  He  lived  at  Bath  and  was  Surveyor-General  of 
the  province.  He  was  a  loyalist  in  the  Revolution,  and  his 
property  in  Noi-th  Carolina  was  confiscated.  He  went  to 
England  and  there  was  pensioned  by  the  government. 

To  fill  vacancies  in  tlie  above  board,  new  eounciloi-s  were 
sworn  as  follows:  James  Murray,  July  16,  1767;  Samuel 
Strudwick,  December  14,  1767;  Samuel  Cornell,  October 
16,  1770;  Martin  Howard,  November  19,  1770.f  Murray, 
like  some  fif  the  other  councilors  luentioned  above,  had  also 
occupied  a  similar  post  under  Governors  Johnston  and  Dobbs, 
and  the  failure  at  first  to  insert  his  name  in  the  commission 
sent  to  Tryon  was  due  to  an  oversight.  He  was  bom  in  Scot- 
laud  and  came  to  America  in  1735.     From  North  Carolina  he 

*  See  will  of  Robert  Palmer,  Sr..  in  North  Carolina  Historical  and  Genealogical  Regis- 
ter. Vol.  I,  pp.  65.  369. 

t  Colonial  Rocorcls  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VII,  pp.  160,  42.'>-428,  437,  601,  632;  Ibid.,  Vol.  VIII,  pp. 
119,  1C7.  24'J,  268;  Ibid,  Vol.  IX,  p.  1002;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XI,  page  210. 


OF   NOKTII   CAROLINA.  49 

made  protracted  visits  to  Boston  (later  settling  in  New  Eng- 
land), and  finally  his  continued  absence  caused  Governor 
Tiyon  to  vacate  liis  seat,  together  with  that  of  Edward  Brice 
Dobbs  (then  with  his  regiment  in  Great  Britain),  for  the 
same  reason.  Murray  was  a  loyalist  during  the  Revolution, 
and  died  in  exile  about  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1781.  Ilis 
correspondence  has  recently  been  collected  in  book  forai,  and 
is  a  most  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  which  treats  of 
colonial  life  in  North  Carolina,  though  it  also  relates  largely 
to  New  England,  where  the  volume  was  published.*  Stinid- 
vrick,  who  accompanied  Tiyon  to  North  Carolina,  was  an 
Englishman,  the  son  of  Edmund  Strudwick  of  St.  Ann's 
Parish,  Westminster,  ajid  came  to  take  charge  of  the  Stag 
Park  and  Hawfields  estates  which  he  and  his  father  had 
bought  from  Governor  Burringlon  and  the  latter's  son.  Lieu- 
tenant G«orge  Burrington,  junior.  Cornell  resided  at  New 
Bern ;  and  in  Januaiy,  1770,  was  described  by  Tryon  as  "a 
merchant  of  the  first  credit  in  the  province,  a  native  of  New 
York,  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  of  a  very  genteel  and 
public  spirit."  Cornell's  granddaughter,  Caroline  LeRoy, 
was  the  second  wife  of  Daniel  Webster.  The  last  councilor 
to  qualify,  as  above,  Mai-tin  Howard,  came  to  North  Carolina 
from  Rhode  Island,  where  his  advocacy  of  the  Stamp  Act 
had  caused  his  property  to  be  destroyed  during  an  uprising 
of  the  populace.  In  addition  to  occupying  a  seat  at  the  coun- 
cil-board, he  filled  the  office  of  Chief  Justice  of  North  Caro- 
lina, and  had  no  superior — if  an  equal — in  the  colonial 
judiciary.     Most  historians  have  dealt  very  unj\istly  with 

•  Letters  of  James  Murray,  Loyalist,  edited  by  Nina  Moore  Tiflfany  and  Susan  I.  Lesley 
(Boston.  1901). 


50  GOVERNOR    TRYOX 

his  memory;  for,  thougli  a  loyalist  (like  nearly  all  of  the 
others  mentioned  above),  he  seems  to  have  acted  from  con- 
scientious motives,  and  was  highly  respected  by  members  of 
the  legal  profession,  including  those  of  the  opposite  political 
faith. 

Ujion  the  face  of  a  commission  constituting  a  board  of 
magistrates  on  the  29th  of  April,  1768,  it  would  appear  that 
Sir  ^Nathaniel  Dukinfield,  Baronet,  and  Marniaduke  Jones, 
Esquire,  were  then  members  of  the  Council ;  and,  in  fact,  both 
of  them  were  members  at  a  later  period,  after  Josiah  Martin 
became  Governor.*  But  the  commission  of  the  peace,  above 
mentioned,  evidently  meant  only  to  refer  to  these  gentlemen 
as  magistrates;  for,  on  two  later  occasions,  Tryon  recom- 
mends that  they  be  appointed  to  the  Coimcil.  This  was  ac- 
cordingly done  on  May  1,  1771,  though  neither  of  them 
qualified  until  after  Governor  Martin's  arrival. 

Sir  Nathaniel  Dukinfield  lived  in  North  Carolina  for  some 
years,  but  finally  went  back  to  Great  Britain.  His  great- 
uncle,  William.  Dukinfield,  Esquire,  had  been  a  land  o-s\iier 
in  Chowan  Precinct,  North  Carolina,  prior  to  1700,  and  died 
alx>ut  1720.  Sir  Xathaniel  was  the  son  of  Nathaniel  Dukin- 
field, Esquire,  and  a  grandson  of  Sir  Robert,  first  baronet 
of  the  name.  The  title  finally  came  to  the  Nortli  <\Trolina 
baronet  through  the  death,  witliout  male  issue,  of  several  of 
liis  uncles. f  Before  being  elevated  to  the  Coimcil,  Sir  Na- 
thaniel jnit  in  a  claim  for  precedence,  in  wjiicli  it  was  c<iii- 

•  Colonial  Recor.isof  N.  C.  Vol.  VII.  p.  730;  Ibid..  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  107.  49.S,  001,  024;  Ibid., 
Vol.  IX,  pp.  19,  62,  291. 

1  See  Betham's  BaroneUBC,  Vol.  II,  pp.  370-381;  Collection  of  the  Private  Law.s  of 
North  Carolina,  by  F.  X.  Martin,  p.  3;  North  Carolina  Historical  and  Genealogical  Rck'S- 
tcr.  Vol.  I,  p.  41  (January,  1900):  Colonial  Record:)  of  N.  C.,  Vol.  I.  pp.  399,  558. 


OF   NORTH    CAROLINA.  51 

tended  that,  next  to  the  Goveiiior,  lie  should  be  considered 
the  first  person  of  rank  in  the  colony.  This  claim,  however, 
was  disallowed  both  by  the  Provincial  Council  and  the  Earl 
Marshal's  office  in  England,  so  he  had  to  content  himself  with 
the  eighth  place  in  the  line  of  precedence  until  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  Coimcil  raised  him  five  grades.  He  was  a  friend 
of  James  Iredell,  and  is  often  referred  to  in  the  hitter's  biog- 
raphj'  by  McRee. 

Marmaduke  Jones,  above  referred  to,  was  at  first  Attorney- 
General  of  the  colony,  appointed  to  a  vacancy  caused  by  the 
death  of  Robin  Jones,  who  belonged  to  a  different  family. 
Marmadidic  Jones  was,  as  Ti-yon  states,  a  cousin  of  Sir  Mar- 
maduke W_)will,  Baronet.  He  was  also  the  gi'andson  of  an- 
other Sir  Marniadidie  Wp'ill — living  at  an  earlier  period — 
through  one  of  the  latter's  daughters,  Ursula,  who  married  a 
Mr.  Jones  of  Furnival's  Oaurt,  London.  Of  the  Attorney- 
General,  Tiyon  says:  "He  is  not  inferior  in  abilities  to  any 
of  his  profession  in  this  counti-y." 

Though  not  within  the  proper  scope  of  this  work,  it  may  be 
of  interest  to  genealogists  to  call  attention  to  a  statement  con- 
cerning the  Wy\'ill  baronetcy  (now  dormant),  which  is  made 
by  Burke  in  the  1838  edition  of  his  work  on  Extinct  and 
Dormant  Baronetages.  He  says  that  one  William  Wyvill, 
of  this  family,  removed  to  Maryland,  and  died  there  about 
1750,  leaving  a  son,  Marmaduke,  whose  primogenitive  rep- 
resentative is  now  entitled  to  the  baronetcy  unless  disbai'red 
as  an  alien  by  the  laws  of  Great  Britain. 

In  the  establishment  of  an  admiralty  system  for  America, 
the  Earl  of  Northumberland  was  created  Vicc-Adniiral  of 


•y^  GOVKEXOK    TRYON 

all  the  fulonies;  and,  by  the  same  eoimnission,  Tryon  was 
constituted  Viee-Admiral  for  aSTorth  Carolina.*  Governors 
of  the  colony  before  Tryon's  time  had  also  held  the  rank  of 
Vice-Adniiral. 

During  his  incmnbeney  in  office,  Governor  Tryou  prepared 
a  Avork  entitled  A  Yiew  of  the  PolHij  of  the  Province  of  North 
Carolina  in  the  Year  1707. j-  This  was  an  aljle  discoui-se  on 
the  details  of  colonial  government,  and  was  highly  com- 
mended by  the  King  himself. 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  459;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XI,   pp 
218-219. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  472,  498,  737-738. 


OF  NOETH    CAEOI.INA.  53 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

LAND-GRANT  RIOTS  IN  MECKLENBURG  COUNTY— HENRY  EUS- 
TACE McCULLOH  AND  GEORGE  AUGUSTUS  SELWYN— THEIR 
PROPERTY  CONFISCATED  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION- 
JAMES  IREDELL  BEFRIENDS  McCULLOH— CHEROKEE  BOUN- 
DARY —  P£7J&0-Vi\'£L  OF  PARTY  RUNNING  SAME— TRYON 
ACCOMPANIES  PARTY— HONORED  WITH  INDIAN  NAMES- 
SOUTH  CAROLINA  BOUNDARY— GEORGE  MERCER,  OF  VIR- 
GINIA, COMMISSIONED  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR  OF  NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

It  is  doiilitful  if  anjthing  in  the  whole  Iiistoiy  of  North 
Carolina,  diu-ing  the  colonial  era,  was  so  prolific  of  jirolonged 
controvei'sies  as  was  the  subject  of  titles  to  land ;  and  the 
jicriod  covered  by  the  administration  of  Governor  Tryon  was 
in  no  way  exempt  from  this  unpleasantness. 

Among  the  largest  land  owners  in  the  province  were  George 
Augustus  Selwj'n  and  Henry  Eustace  McCulloh,  whose  re- 
spective fathers  had,  "by  some  legerdemain,"  as  early  as 
17.37,  obtained  grants  from  King  George  the  Second  for 
many  hundred  thousands  of  acres,  mostly  located  in  what 
later  became  the  counties  of  Mecklenburg  and  Duplin.* 

McCulloh  canie  in  person  to  jSTorth  Carolina  to  manage 
the  interests  he  had  inherited,  but  did  not  remain  perma- 
nently in  the  colony.  He  also  acted  as  the  attorney  of  Sel- 
wjTi.  When  he  went  to  Mecklenburg  to  have  a  reckoning 
with  the  settlers  on  Mr.  Selwyn's  grant  he  was  unable  to  come 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  V,  Prefatory  Notes,  pp.  xxxii-xxxv;  Ibid.,  Vol.  VII,  pp. 
10-35,  37-38,  275-278,  451-4.55,  1004;  as  to  Henry  McCulloh  (the  father  of  Henry  Eustace 
McCulloh),  see  State  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  XI,  pp.  31-41,  45-73,  102-108,  118-121,  127. 


54  GOVEENOE    TEYON 

to  an  agTeement,  owing  to  some  contentions  about  the  tenns 
of  sale  on  A\-hich  deeds  had  been  promised  to  those  occupying 
the  property.  Thereu2:)on  the  quarrel  grew  fiercer ;  and, 
when  surveyors  were  sent  to  lay  out  the  lands,  their  instru- 
ments and  chains  were  broken  and  they  themselves  badly 
beaten  by  the  JMecklenburgers.  Though  a  pardon  v\'as  offered 
to  any  two  of  the  rioters  who  woidd  disclose  the  names  of  the 
others  engaged  in  the  affair,  no  arrests  were  ever  made,  and 
the  land  controversy  went  into  the  courts,  where  it  probably 
remained  until  the  Revolution,  at  which  time  the  estates  of 
both  Sclwyn  and  McCulloh  fell  imder  the  confiscation  acts, 
along  with  other  lands,  including  the  vast  domain  of  Lord 
Granville,  for  whom  McCulloh  was  also  agent  at  one  time. 

Among  the  relatives  of  McCulloh  was  the  eminent  Ameri- 
can jurist,  Jajues  Iredell.  The  latter's  biographer,  in  refer- 
ring to  McCulloh,  says:  "lie  was  a  nuin  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary ability  and  cidture;  cunning,  rather  than  wise.  Of 
loose  morals,  witli  a  decent  regard  for  appearances,  he  veiled 
his  vices  from  the  public  eye.  He  had  no  instrumentality 
in  the  ap23ointment  of  young  Iredell  to  office  in  America  ;  but 
knowing  him  to  be  a  youth  of  gTeat  promise,  he  employed  all 
his  arts  to  win  his  confidence  and  secm-e  his  subservience  to 
his  interests.  He  not  only  devolved  on  him  all  the  duties  of 
his  colleetorshii),  but  employed  him  as  agent  to  transact  his 
private  business.  Through  the  agency  of  !Mr.  Iredell,  ho  was 
enabled  to  enjoy,  uninterrupted  for  long  jieriods,  the  jjlcas- 
ures  of  a  London  life.  He  made  ]\Ir.  Irerlell  no  c(>ni)'.ensa- 
tion  for  his  services.  Time;  after  time  he  would  hint  to  him 
thiit  ho   intended   makinc;-  hiiu    his    lielr.      Often    he    would 


OF   NOET3I   CAROLINA.  55 

aiuiise  liim  with  the  hope  that  he  would  resign  his  office  in 
his  favor ;  but  always  found  a  ready  excuse  to  evade  the  per- 
formance of  his  promise.  His  sagacity  early  detected  the 
small  cloud,  surcharged  with  the  thunders  of  the  revolution, 
that  was  destined  to  spread  over  the  continent.  It  was  not 
until  thns  warned  that  he  rcsigiied  his  office.  His  property 
was  confiscated  by  tlie  State.  After  this  loss  his  letters  to 
Mr.  Iredell  became  abject  and  piteous.  The  latter,  true  to 
the  generous  instincts  of  his  nature,  forgiving  McCulloh's 
errors,  made,  without  success,  strenuous  efforts  to  procure 
his  pardon  and  the  restoration  of  his  estates.  The  services 
he  rendered  him  were  manifold  and  valuable.  At  the  close 
of  the  war,  and  after  he  had  abandoned  all  hope  of  recover- 
ing his  American  lands,  with  shattered  fortimes,  but  still  with 
an  income  of  twelve  hundred  guineas  per  annum,  McCulloh 
retired  to  a  country-seat  near  London,  where  he  died — as 
false  to  his  kinsman  in  death  as  he  had  been  in  life."  " 

George  Augustus  Selwyn  (who  probably  never  saw  Xorth 
Carolina)  was  a  famous  wit  aud  politician  in  England,  the 
son  of  Colonel  John  Selwyn  of  Matson,  near  Gloucester,  and 
a  grandson  of  Major-General  William  Selwyn,  who  was  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Island  of  Jamaica  about  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  The  great  English  churchman,  Eight 
Eeverend  George  Aug-nstus  Selwyn,  Primate  of  New  Zealand 
and  aftenvards  Bishop  of  Lichfield,  Avas  of  this  family, 
though  not  lineally  descended  from  any  of  the  persons  above 
mentioned. 

For  some  time  prior  to  1766  many  disputes  had  occurred 

•  Life  and  Correspondence  of  James  Iredell,  by  G,  J.  McRee,  Vol.  I,  p.  9. 


56  .GOVERXOE    TRYOX 

between  the  people  of  ISTortli  Carolina  and  the  Cherokee 
Indians  over  a  boundary  line  abont  which  there  was  much 
uncertainty.  To  put  an  end  to  this  ti'onble  (which  had  been 
more  than  once  the  cause  of  bloodshed),  Tryon  determined 
to  go  into  the  Indian  counti'y  and  settle  the  differences  by 
definitely  fixing  the  line ;  and,  in  the  Simiiner  of  the  above 
year,  the  Council  of  the  province  passed  a  resolution  approv- 
ing his  purpose  and  authorizing  him  to  direct  tlie  Surveyor- 
General  to  proceed  with  the  running  of  the  boundary.*  It 
was  also  resolved  that  the  Governor  should  have  aaithority  to 
draw  on  the  Receiver-General  for  all  expenses  requisite  in 
fitting  up  an  expedition  with  this  purj^iose  in  view.  Tryon 
agreed  to  meet  the  chiefs  or  head-warriors  of  the  Cherokees 
in  Seirtendxr,  17C6  ;  but,  owing  to  a  great  prevalence  of  sick- 
ness among  the  Indians,  and  the  near  apin-oach  of  the  hunt- 
ing season,  the  conference  was  postiX)ned  until  the  following 
Spring. 

On  May  1,  1767,  Governor  Tryon  notified  Messrs.  John 
Rutherford,  Robert  Palmer,  and  Jolm  Frohock,  the  conunis- 
sioners  who  were  to  nui  the  Ixiundary,  that  he  had  ordei'ed 
a  rendezvous  of  the  party  at  Salisbury  on  the  IStli  of  that 
month.  Rutherford  and  Palmer  were  members  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Council,  and  the  latter  was  also  Surveyor-General. 

As  it  would  have  been  fool-hardy  to  venture  among  the 
Indians,  even  on  a  friendly  mission,  without  an  anned  escurt, 
Tryon  ordered  out  a  detachment  of  the  jirovincial  troops  to 


"  For  fuller  particulars  relative  to  Indians  and  expedition  to  settle  Cherokee  boundary, 
see  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VH.  pp.  108-112,  115-117.  16-1-165.  196-197,  207-221,  232- 
240,  244-215,  248-249.  254-257.  268-271,  279-283,  360-361,  404,  415,  446.  448,  455.  460-471,  500- 
610,  861-856,  991-1009. 


OF  NOETII    CAEOLINA. 


57 


act  in  that  capacity.  Of  this  body  Colonel  Hugh  Waddell 
was  Commandant ;  next  \mder  him  were  Lieutenant-Colonels 
John  Frohock  and  Moses  Alexander.  The  staif  officers  were : 
Colonel  Edmimd  Fanning,  Adjutant;  Captain  Isaac  Ed- 
wards, Aid-de-camp;  Captain  William  Frohock,  Commis- 
sary ;  and  the  Eeverend  John  Wills,  Chaplain.  This  party 
was  later  joined  by  Alexander  Cameron,  Deputy  Superintend- 
ent of  Indian  Affairs  for  the  southern  colonies,  and  the 
march  from  Salisbury  was  begun  on  May  21st.  On  the  31st 
of  the  same  month  the  Indians  came  to  meet  the  Governor 
and  his  party  and  were  given  a  ''talk"  by  Tryon.  After  re- 
ceiving their  reply  the  Governor  sent  some  of  the  band  back 
to  Salisbury  with  an  order  for  presents,  to  the  value  of  one 
himdred  and  seventy-five  poimds,  which  bad  l>een  voted  by  the 
Assembly  as  a  token  of  good-will.  On  June  -Ith  (King 
George's  birthday)  the  real  work  of  the  expedition  began, 
when  Messrs.  Rutherford,  Palmer,  Frohock,  Cameron  and  the 
Cherokee  representatives  began  the  survey.  A  company  of 
twenty  picked  men,  commanded  in  person  by  one  of  the  com- 
missioners, Lieutenant-Colonel  Frohock,  acted  as  a  gaiard  for 
the  party.  Among  the  officers  in  this  little  military  detach- 
ment were  Captain  George  Davidson  and  Lieutenant  William 
Davidson.  The  latter  aftei-\vards  became  a  brigadier-gen- 
eral in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  slain,  while  resist- 
ing the  passage  of  Lord  ComwaUis  over  the  Catawba  river  in 
North  Carolina,  at  the  Battle  of  Cowan's  Ford,  February  1, 
17S1. 

Governor  Tryon  did  not  remain  with  the  commissioners 
and  corps  of  engineers  until  the  completion  of  the  Cherokee 


58  GOVEENOE   TEYON 

boundarv,  but  returned  to  Brunswick  shortly  after  coiicliuling 
his  inter\'iew  and  negotiations  with  the  Indians. 

When  Commissioner  Rutherford  returned  to  make  his  re- 
port to  the  Governor  he  stated  that  the  head-waters  of  some 
of  the  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  river  began  only  three 
or  four  miles  distant  from  a  peak  which  had  been  named 
Tryon  Mountain,' where  the  line  tenninated.  Tiyon  Moun- 
tain lies  in  what  is  now  Polk  coimty,  North  Carolina,  and  it 
is  probable  that  Mr.  Rutherford  erred  in  his  calculations 
about  the  ]\Iississippi,  thoiigh  some  of  the  waters  which  finally 
flow  into  that  great  stream  do  have  their  source  not  many 
miles  westward  of  the  peak  mentioned. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Shelbum,  dated  July  14,  1767, 
Tryon  states  that  while  on  his  tour  among  the  Cherokees  he 
had  been  honored  with  the  Indian  name  of  Ohaiah  Equah, 
or  Great  Wolf.  This  sobriquet  (which  the  savages  gave  as 
a  mark  of  high  admiration)  some  historians  have  attempted 
to  twist  into  a  term  of  reproach.  Wheeler,  with  that  plen- 
titude  of  inaccuracy  for  which  so  much  of  his  work  is  noted, 
says  that  Tryon  "knew  when  to  use  such  force  and  cruelty  as 
achieved  for  him,  from  the  Cherokee  Indians,  the  bloody  title 
of  the  'Great  Wolf  of  Xorth  Carolina.'  "  As  loading  them 
dovm  with  presents  was  the  only  "force  and  cruelty"  of  which 
the  Governor  was  guilty  on  the  above  expedition,  the  Chero- 
kees probably  gave  him  his  bloody  title  for  some  other  reason. 
And  TiTon,  we  may  note,  seems  to  have  had  a  fondness  for 
Indian  nomenclature.  On  another  occasion,  when  visited  by 
a  sachem  of  the  Tuscaroras,  he  requested  a  name  by  which 
he  and  all  future  Governors  should  l)e  known.  Thereupon 
the  chief  bestowed  upon  him  his  own  niinic,  Diagawekee. 


OF   NOBTK    CAROLINA.  59 

Prior  to  the  running  of  the  Cherokee  houndary  there  had 
also  been  some  disputed  points  on  the  subject  of  the  dividing- 
line  between  North  and  South  Carolina.*  When  Tryon  first 
aiTired  in  America,  commissioners,  representing  the  two 
provinces,  were  at  work  on  the  survey  of  the  same ;  and,  when 
he  went  to  New  York,  the  controversy  was  left  as  a  legacy  to 
his  successor.  Governor  Josiah  Martin.  Wliile  this  boimdary 
disjiute  with  South  Carolina  was  in  progTess  Tryon  paid  a 
friendly  visit  of  eight  days'  dm-ation  to  Governor  Bull  at 
Charleston,  in  xipril,  1770.  At  Charleston  he  found  his  old 
friend.  Sir  William  Draper,  who  returned  with  him  to  the 
Palace  at  New  Bern,  where  he  remained  as  a  giiest  for  three 
weeks,  sailing  for  Virginia  on  the  24tli  of  May.  Prior  to 
this,  in  the  Summer  of  1769,  Tryon  had  also  visited  Lord 
Botetourt,  the  Governor  of  Virginia,  at  Williamsburg. 

Wlien  in  Williamsburg,  Governor  Tiyon  wi-ote  to  the  Earl 
of  Hillsborough,  saying  that  he  first  came  to  America  because 
he  believed  his  usefulness  would  be  greater  than  it  was  in  the 
rank  he  had  then  held  in  the  army,  but  he  would  now  be  glad 
to  return  if  given  command  of  a  regiment  or  made  an  aid-de- 
camj)  to  the  King.  He  added  that  if  a  regiment  should  be 
his  fortune,  he  would  strive  to  make  it  as  eSicient  and  well 
disciplined  as  he  had  made  the  company  of  Grenadiers  once 
commanded  by  him  in  England.  To  this.  Lord  Hillsbor- 
ough replied  in  a  very  complimentary  letter,  wherein  he  said 
he  had  made  Tryon's  wishes  known  to  His  Majesty.  Fiu^ 
ther,  he  observed  that  the  Governorship  of  New  York  had 
recently  been  vacant,  and  Tryon  was  then  thought  of  for  the 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  pp.  154-157;  IbiJ.,  Vol.  VUI.  pp.  210-211.  554,  et  seg. 


GO  GOVERNOK   TRTON 

position ;  but,  as  his  office  in  Xorth  Carolina  paid  a  better  sal- 
ary than  the  one  in  Kew  York,  it  was  not  thought  proper  to 
sacrifice  his  interests.  Now,  however,  said  Hillslx>rough, 
that  he  had  learned  Tryon  desired  this  change  regardless  of 
the  pecuniary  disadvantage,  it  was  too  late  to  remedy  the  mat- 
ter.* So  the  prospect  of  getting  to  New  York  did  not  seem 
very  bright  at  that  time,  though  no  doubt  Tryon's  wish  was 
kept  in  mind,  for  it  was  destined  to  be  finally  gratified. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1769,  a  terrible  storm  devastated 
the  coast  of  North  Carolina,  nearly  entirely  destroying  New 
Bern,  Brunswick,  and  other  towns.f  Hoiises,  ships,  growing 
crops,  trees,  stores,  live  stock,  and  some  human  lives,  fell  a 
sacrifice  to  its  fwrj.  Among  the  buildings  destroyed  was  the 
court-house  at  Brunswick,  though  the  half-finished  Palace  at 
New  Bern  sustained  little  injury.  In  one  of  his  letters 
Tiyon  wrote  that  this  hurricane  was  attributed  to  the  effect 
of  a  blazing  planet  or  star  Avhich  had  been  seen  both  from 
New  Bern  and  Bnmsmck,  rising  in  the  east  for  several  nights 
between  the  26th  and  the  31st  of  Augiist.  Its  tail  was 
very  long,  he  said,  and  stretched  upwards  towards  the  south- 
west. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1768,  the  King  issued  a  com- 
mission from  his  Court  at  St.  James,  appointing  George  Mer- 
cer to  the  office  of  Lieutenant-Governor  of  North  Carolina. f 
But  it  is  probable  that  Mr.  Mercer  never  came  to  the  colony. 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  pp.  54,  191. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  71-75,  89,  115. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  60,  277:  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XI,  p.  219  ; 
Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II,  pp.  203,  250  ;  Charles  Campbell's  History  of  Virg-inia, 
pp.  487,  i>.13-544  :  Bishop  Meade's  Old  Churches  and  Families  in  Virginia,  Vol,  II,  p.  205. 


OF   NORTH   CAROLINA.  61 

Tliei'c  seems  to  he  no  record  of  his  presence ;  and  fnrtlicrmore, 
as  he  was  vested  with  authority  to  temporarily  act  as  Gov- 
ernor on  the  death  or  absence  of  the  chief  executive,  he  would 
(if  in  JSTorth  Carolina)  have  talcen  the  reins  of  power  in 
1771,  for  the  period  between  Ti-j'on's  departure  and  the 
amval  of  Governor  Josiah  Martin.  At  tl:e  time  last  men- 
tioned James  Hasell,  President  of  the  Coiincil,  became  Gov- 
ernor pro  tempore.  Colonel  Mercer  was  a  Virginian,  and 
had  served  under  Washington  in  the  French  and  Indian  War. 
Later  he  was  made  distributor  of  stamps  for  Virginia;  and, 
in  the  discharge  of  this  office,  seems  to  have  met  with  pretty 
much  the  same  treatment  as  that  accorded  William  Houston 
in  North  Carolina — being  first  threatened  by  the  colonists, 
and  then  handsomely  banqueted  after  complying  with  their 
demands.  But  whether  the  Virginia  entertaimuent,  like  that 
given  Houston,  included  "the  best  liquors  to  be  had"  does  not 
appear. 


62  GOVERNOR    TETON 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRYON'S  HOUSE  AT  BRUNSWICK— GOVERNOR'S  PALACE  BUILT 
AT  NEW  BERN— DESCRIPTION  OF  SAME— HAD  NO  EQUAL  IN 
AMERICA— WASHINGTON  ENTERTAINED  THERE  AFTER  THE 
REVOLUTION— BUILDING  DESTROYED  BY  FIRE— WHILOM 
COUNTIES  OF  TRYON,  DOBBS,  BUTE,  AND  GLASGOW— TOWN 
OF  TRYON  AND  TRYON  MOUNTAIN— SOME  COUNTIES  AND 
TOWNS  NAjVIED  for  WHIGS  IN  ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA- 
WAKE  COUNTY  NAMED  FOR  MRS.  TRYON,  NEE  WAKE- 
ESTHER  WAKE  A  MYTH. 

Before  the  Assembly  had  the  "Pidace"  built  as  an  official 
residence  for  the  Governor  at  New  Bern,  Tiyon  lived  near 
Brunswick,  his  house  there  being  known  as  Castle  Tryon.* 
In  his  Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Lower  Cape  Fear,f  ]\Ir. 
James  Sprunt  gives  some  interesting  facts  relative  to  the 
mansion  at  Brunswick.  It  was  originally  owned  by  the 
Moore  family  and  later  sold  to  Captain  John  Russell  of  His 
Majesty's  sloop  Scorpion,  who  named  the  place  Russellbor- 
ough.  From  Russell's  widow  it  passed  back  to  the  Moore 
family  as  a  part  of  the  famous  Orton  plantation,  from  which 
it  had  been  originally  severed.  In  1758  it  was  sold  to  Gov- 
ernor Dobbs,  who  called  it  Castle  Dobbs,  after  liis  manor- 
house  in  Ireland.  It  was  subsequently  occupied  by  Governor 
Tiyon,  who  finally  purchased  it,  in  February,  1767,  from 
Major  Edward  Brice  Dobbs,  a  son  of  the  late  Governor. 
Mr.  Siunint,  who  is  sometliing  of  an  anticpiary  as  well  as  a 
gifted  writer,  has  succeeded  in  locating  the  ruins  of  this 


•  Colonial  Hccords  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  i).  IGl. 

t  Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Lower  Cape  Fear.  pp.  67-71. 


OF   NORTH    CAROLINA.  63 

house.  He  did  so  by  consulting  land  titles,  and  also  had  the 
assistance  of  an  aged  negro  who  had  been  reared  in  the  vicin- 
ity. This  old  negro  said  he  never  heard  of  Governor  Dobbs 
or  Governor  Trj'on ;  but,  when  a  boy,  had  heard  of  a  man 
named  Governor  Palace  who  lived  in  a  great  house  between 
Orton  and  Bnmswick.  Acting  on  this  clue,  Mr.  Spnmt  and 
the  friends  who  accompanied  him  followed  their  venerable 
guide  to  the  former  abode  of  Governors  Dobbs  and  Tiyon, 
situated  in  a  dense  undergrowth  beyond  an  opening  still 
known  as  the  Old  Palace  Field.  The  site  of  the  "Palace" 
counnands  a  fine  view  of  the  river.  Approaching  it  are  the 
marks  of  a  well-worn  carriage  road,  and  there  are  also  traces 
of  a  path  leading  down  to  the  river  landing  kno^^^l  as  Gov- 
ernor's Cove.  Only  the  foundations  of  the  house  are  now 
visible. 

"Wlien  K'ew  Bern  was  made  the  capital  of  the  colony  there 
was  no  suitable  place  for  the  transaction  of  public  business, 
and  the  erection  of  a  goveniment  building  became  necessaiy. 
By  Chapter  II  of  the  Laws  of  1766  it  was  provided  that 
such  a  structure  should  be  built.  This  act  passed  its  tliird 
reading  in  the  Assembly,  or  lower  house,  on  l^ovember  17, 
1766,  and  received  its  final  ratification  in  the  Council,  or 
upper  house,  on  the  27th  of  the  same  month.*  The  title  of 
the  bill  was  "An  Act  for  erecting  a  convenient  building 
within  the  town  of  jSTew  Bern  for  the  residence  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, or  commander-in-chief,  for  the  time  being."  Though 
Governor  Tryon  highly  approved  this  measure,  it  seems  to 
have  originated  upon  a  recommendation  from  the  Crown,  the 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VII.  pp.  320.  376. 


(34  GOVEENOR    TRYON 

reason  being  given  that  sncli  an  establishment  had  been  made 
in  ahnost  all  the  colonies  on  the  continent  foi'  their  respect- 
ive Governors.*  But  Tryon  never  did  things  by  halves ;  and, 
when  the  work  was  completed,  no  Governor  or  other  ruler  on 
either  of  the  American  continents  had  an  establishment  to 
equal  it.  It  was  not,  however,  simply  a  residence  for  the 
Governor,  but  also  served  as  a  capitol  or  state-house — contain- 
ing a  hall  where  the  Assembly  met,  a  council-chamber,  and 
public  offices.  The  work  on  this  mansion  was  begim  on  the 
26th  of  August,  1767.  It  was  built  of  brick  and  trimmed 
with  marble.  The  latter  material  was  also  freely  used  on  the 
interior  decorations.  John  Hawks,  who  came  to  America 
with  Tryon,  superintended  its  construction.  He  estimated 
that  the  cost  would  ag-gi-egate  about  14,710  pounds.  Includ- 
ing furniture,  etc.,  it  finally  amounted  to  one  or  two  thousand 
pounds  more.  Skilled  artisans  were  brought  from  Philadel- 
phia for  the  work.  The  first  legislative  appropriation  (Chap- 
ter II  of  the  Laws  of  1766)  was  only  for  five  thousand  pounds, 
but  this  amount  was  afterwards  increased  by  Chapter  V  of 
the  Laws  of  1767.  The  sum  of  10,000  pounds  (proclama- 
tion money)  additional  was  appropriated  by  the  latter  act, 
and  1,500  pounds  was  granted  to  supply  a  deficiency  in  the 
former  fund.  In  December,  1767,  Tryon  was  able  to  report 
that  the  work  was  being  steadily  pushed  to  completion.  In 
1770  the  house, was  ready  for  occupancy,  and  the  public 
records  were  moved  into  it  in  Januai-y  and  February  of  the 
f(jllowing  year.f 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  273. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C  Vol.  VII.  pp.  431,  542-M3,  and  Prefatory  Notes  of  same  vol- 
ume, p.  xii;  Ibid.,  Vol.  VIU.  pp.  408,  •ISO. 


OP  NORTH   CAROLINA.  (35 

Tlie  main  biiilJing  was  tliree  stories  high,  had  a  frontag'e 
of  eighty-seven  feet,  and  was  fifty-nine  feet  deep ;  while  on 
each  side  was  a  two-storied  building — connected  with  the  cen- 
tral edifice  by  gTacefully  curving  galleries.  Between  the  gal- 
leries, in  front  of  the  Palace,  was  a  handsome  conrt-yard. 
The  rear  of  the  building  was  fashioned  in  the  style  of  the 
Mansion  House,  or  Lord  Mayor's  residence,  in  London.* 
The  plumbing  was  done  by  an  expert  who  came  over  from 
England  for  the  express  purpose.  Eight  tons  of  lead  were 
\ised  in  this  work  alone.  All  of  the  sashes  and  four  of  the 
principal  mantels  were  imported.  In  tlie  council-chamber 
there  was  a  handsomely  designed  chimney-piece  containing 
decorations  of  Ionic  statuary,  with  eohunns  of  sienna,  the 
fret-work  on  the  frieze  being  also  inlaid  with  the  latter  mate- 
rial. In  addition  to  this,  and  above  the  whole,  were  richly 
ornamented  marble  tablets,  on  which  were  medallions  of 
King  George  and  his  Queen. f 

Over  the  principal  door  of  the  vestibule  was  another  tablet, 
containing  a  Latin  verse,  ^vi'itten  by  Sir  William  Draper, 
wliieli  ran  thus : 

"Rege  pio,  fclix,  dins  inimica  tyrannis, 
Virtuti  has  cedes  libera  terra  dedit; 
Sint  domus  et  dominus  swclis  exempla  futuris, 
Hie  artcs,  mores,  jura,  legcsque  colant." 

Frangois  Xavier  Martin,  in  his  History  of  North  Caro- 
liim,'!^.  by  a  free  translation,  renders  this  into  English  verse 
as  follows : 

"  Lossing's  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution.    Lossing  says  the  contract  called  for  a  build- 
ing two  stories  high.    His  illustration,  however,  shows  three  stories, 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  7-8. 
J  Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  U,  pp.  265-266. 


G6  GOVEENOK    TRYOX 

''In  the  reign  of  a  monarcli,  who  goodness  disclosed, 
A  free,  happy  people,  to  dread  tyrants  opposed, 
Have  to  virtue  and  merit  erected  this  dome; 
May  the  owner  and  household  make  this  the  loved  home, 
\Miere  religion,  the  arts,  and  the  laws  may  invite 
Future  ages  to  live  in  sweet  peace  and  delight." 

Draper  seems  to  have  been  the  Admiral  Dewey  of  his  day, 
as  Martin  refers  to  him  as  "the  conqueror  of  Manila."  Mar- 
tin himself  once  visited  the  Palace  in  company  with  the  gi-eat 
Venezuelan  patriot,  Don  Francisco  de  j\[irauda,  and  tells  us 
he  heard  Miranda  say  that  the  building  had  no  equal  in  South 
America. 

In  December,  1770,  the  first  meeting  of  the  Assembly  was 
held  in  its  new  quarters  at  New  Bern.'"  The  Governor,  in 
his  official  message,  said  he  gladly  embraced  the  opiDortimily 
to  render  acknowledgments  for  the  Palace  which  had  been 
built  for  himself  and  his  oflieial  successors;  adding  that  it 
was  a  public  ornament,  a  credit  to  the  provance,  and  an  honor 
to  British  America.  He  also  said  he  was  confident  that  the 
strength  of  materials,  the  ability,  integTity,  and  diligence  of 
the  architect,  and  the  skill  of  the  artisans  who  had  been  em- 
ployed would  all  contribiite  to  render  it  a  lasting  montimeut 
to  the  liberality  of  the  colony.  Little  could  he  foresee  that  in 
less  than  two  decades  nothing  but  charred  ruins  would  mark 
the  site  of  this  noble  edifice ! 

For  his  instnnnentality  in  having  the  Palace  built,  Tryon 
has  received  as  much  hostile  criticism  as  for  any  other  act  of 
his  administration,  and  it  is  true  that  the  colony  could  ill 
afford  the  outlay  of  money  emi)loyed  in  that  work.      But  tlie 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIO,  pp.  2S2,  285. 


OF    NOETII    CAROLINA.  6Y 

Governor  looked  to  tlie  future,  and — of  course,  not  foreseeing 
tlie  Eevolution  and  the  removal  of  tlie  seat  of  governnicnt — 
no  doulrt  thought  that  lie  was  doing  the  province  a  good  ser- 
vice hy  the  erection  of  a  mansion  and  state-house  which 
would  be  useful  to  Worth  Carolina  for  many  years  to  come. 
To  the  gratification  of  personal  vanity  also,  it  must  be  said, 
his  action  was  largely  due ;  for,  with  all  his  strong  points, 
he  was  vain  to  a  marked  degTee,  and  it  probably  never  en- 
tered his  head  that  any  house  could  be  too  good  for  a  digTii- 
tary  holding  the  high  and  mighty  office  of  Goveenoe,  Cap- 
tain-Geneeal,  and  Oommandee-in-Ohief  in  and  ovee 
His  Majesty's  Peovince  of  ISToeth  Caeolina  and  Vice- 
AmiiEAL  OF  THE  SAME.  And  the  Assembly  also  seems  to 
have  held  sentiments  somewhat  similar;  for,  in  a  dispatch  to 
the  Earl  of  Shelburn,  dated  January  31,  1767,  Tryon  says 
that  the  act  of  apj^ropriation  for  the  building  was  carried 
through  that  body  by  a  veiy  large  majority. 

In  connection  with  the  alcove,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to 
observe  that  no  public  building,  in  any  way  a  credit  to  the 
State,  has  ever  been  erected  in  ISTorth  Carolina  without  bring- 
ing do^vn  denunciations  upon  those  resj^onsible  for  it.  When 
the  old  Capitol  in  Raleigh  was  burned  (June  21,  1831)  the 
economical  legislators  of  that  day  ajDpropriated  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  which  they  regarded  as  a  princely  sum,  for  the  pur- 
jjose  of  building  a  new  one,  and  api^oiuted  commissioners  to 
superintend  its  erection.  These  commissioners  (all  honor  to 
their  memory!)  thought  they  knew  more  about  building 
Capitols  than  the  Legislature  did,  and  invested  the  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  a  foundation.     Then  succeeding  Legislatures 


GS  GOVERXOE    TRYON 

had  to  spend  considerably  over  half  a  uiillion  dollars  in  put- 
ting a  superstructure  on  top  of  that  foundation,  and  these 
appropriations  caused  the  political  death  of  many  of  the 
State's  best  citizens ;  but  now  the  chief  fault  found  with  the 
Capitol  is  that  it  is  too  small.  It  may  be  that  the  building 
committee  which  bought  the  foundation  for  the  Capitol  took 
the  idea  from  the  plan  which  Tiyon  was  charged  vriih  pur- 
suing— only  Tryon  got  considerably  more  than  his  founda- 
tion completed  before  he  asked  for  further  appropriations. 

And  another  "Governor's  Palace"  also  caused  a  tempest 
in  a  tea-pot  alxiut  ninety-five  years  after  Tryon's  death,  when 
a  far-seeing  Chief  Magistrate,  Governor  Jai-vis,  recommended 
to  the  General  Assembly  that  an  Executive  Mansion  be  built 
in  Burke  Square,  at  Ealeigh,  to  supply  the  place  of  an  old 
one,  at  the  foot  of  Fayetteville  Street,  wliich  had  become 
uniit  for  use  and  had  been  sold.  When  the  new  building 
was  being  put  up  people  called  it  "Jarvis's  Folly,"  and  news- 
papers deplored  the  fact  that  no  poor  man  could  thereafter 
afford  to  be  Governor,  as  such  an  establishment  wo\ihl  require 
an  independent  fortune  to  keep  it  up.  Yet  the  house  is  now 
considered  an  honor  to  the  State,  and  quite  often  some  poor 
man  shows  a  willingness  to  offer  himself  a  living  sacrifice  by 
becoming  its  official  occupant. 

But  to  return  to  the  Palace  at  New  Bern :  during  the  short 
time  in  which  it  was  occupied  by  Governor  Tryon — he  lived 
there  but  little  over  a  year — it  was  the  seat  of  extensive  hos- 
pitality, lx)th  to  prominent  Americans  and  men  of  rank  from 
abroad.  \Vlien  the  building  was  first  opened  a  grand  ball 
was  given  by  way  of  a  house-warming.     Of  this  entertain- 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  69 

nieut  vre  can  catch  a  faiut  glimpse  in  the  corrcspondeuce 
between  James  Iredell  and  Sir  Nathaniel  Dukinfiekl,  wherein 
the  baronet  recalls  how  the  dignified  councillor,  Samuel 
Cornell,  "hopped  a  reel"  at  the  close  of  the  evening.* 
Whether  or  not  the  erection  of  Tryon's  vice-regal  edifice  was 
regarded  with  favor  by  other  sections  of  the  colony  probably 
caused  little  concern  in  New  Bera.  The  fortunes  of  that 
town  were  fixed,  for  a  time  at  least,  and  the  dull  routine  of 
governmental  administration  was  relieved  by  gay  social  gath- 
erings of  Carolina's  elite  when  the  Assembly  met. 

"A  goodly  place,  a  goodly  time. 
For  it  was  in  the  golden  prime 
Of  good  Haroun  Alrascliid." 

One  thing — the  style  of  royalty  assumed  by  the  Governor 
at  his  Palace  balls — does  not  seem  to  have  made  a  very  pleas- 
ant impression  on  the  colonial  gentry  of  North  Carolina; 
for,  \^heu  Judge  Maurice  Moore,  under  the  pseudonym  of 
"xVtticus,"  attacked  Tiwon,  it  was  said  of  the  latter :  "Your 
solicitude  about  the  title  of  Her  Excellency  for  Mrs.  Tryon, 
and  the  arrogant  reception  you  gave  to  a  respectable  company 
at  an  entertainment  of  your  own  making,  seated  with  your 
lady  by  your  side  on  elbow-chairs  in  the  middle  of  the  ball- 
room, bespeak  a  littleness  of  mind,  which,  believe  me,  sir, 
when  blended  with  the  dignity  and  importance  of  your  office, 
renders  you  truly  ridiculous." 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  Eevolution,  Abner  Nash,  Richard 
Cogdell,  Alexander  Gaston,  and  other  patriots  seized  the 
artillery  (six  pieces)  with  which  the  Palace  was  fortified, 

•Life  and  Correspondence  of  James  Iredell,  Vol.  I.  p.  173. 


70  GOVEKXOR    TKYON 

and  Josiali  Martin  (Tiyou's  successor,  and  tlie  last  of  the 
Royal  Governors)  had  to  flee  from  his  home  and  seek  refuge 
on  shipboard.*  After  the  war  the  Palace  was  allowed  to 
go  to  ruin.  In  its  last  years  it  was  put  to  all  kinds  of  uses: 
public  entertainments  were  held  therein;  sometimes  the  Leg- 
islature met  there;  and  usually  it  served  the  purposes  of  a 
school-house.  The  basement  was  used  as  a  store-room  for 
rubbish.  The  last  mentioned  circumstance  explains  why  the 
Iniilding  is  not  there  now ;  for,  among  other  matter  kept  in  the 
cellar,  there  was  a  large  amount  of  combustibles,  including 
hay.  Sometime  after  night-fall,  on  February  27,  179S,  an 
old  negro  woman  was  sent  into  the  basement  to  hunt  among 
the  straw  for  hens'  eggs.  It  being  very  dark,  she  carried  with 
her  a  blazing  pine-knot,  which  she  laid  down  in  order  to 
gather  the  eggs — aaid  it  is  not  nccessai-y  to  trouble  the  reader 
with  an  account  of  what  followed. 

When  the  main  edifice  was  burned  one  of  the  wings  shared 
its  destruction,  but  the  other  is  still  standing.  After  the 
Revolution  the  State  Legislature  appointed  commissioners  to 
sell  the  land  and  buildings.  One  of  the  lots  was  purchased 
by  Major  John  Daves,  a  distinguished  veteran  of  the  War 
for  Independence ;  and  his  son,  John  Pugh  Daves,  built  upon 
it  the  house  occupied  by  himself  as  a  residence  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  James  McKinlay  (who  married  the 
latter's  half-sister)  bought  the  lot  on  which  now  stands  the 
original  wing.  This  house  has  had  many  vicissitudes.  The 
first  floor  M'as  used  at  one  time  as  a  stable  and  carriage-house, 
and  there  were  kept  the  horses  of  General  Washington  at  the 

•Life  and  Correapondence  of  Jamss  Iredell,  Vol.  I,  p.  2-10:  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C, 
Vol.  X,  pp.  41,  ct  eai.,  63,  145. 


OF    Is'OETII    CAROLINA.  Yl 

time  of  his  visit  to  New  Beru.  After  the  death  of  its  first  pur- 
chaser it  was  inherited  by  the  children  of  John  Pugh  Dares, 
and  they  conveyed  it  to  the  parish  of  Christ  Church,  by  which 
it  was  nsed  as  a  chapel  and  parochial  school.  At  the  time  of 
its  con\'ersion  into  the  chai3el  much  of  the  wood-work,  when 
removed,  was  found  to  be  of  red  cedar,  in  a  remarkable  state 
of  preservation,  notwithstanding  the  lapse  of  so  many  years. 
It  is  now  used  as  a  private  dwelling.  In  dimensions  it  is 
fifty  by  forty  feet. 

The  commissionei'S,  mentioned  above,  did  not  sell  the  site 
of  the  main  building,  as  that  was  needed  for  an  extension  of 
George  Street  southward  to  the  Trent  river. 

In  his  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  Bern" 
the  Reverend  Lachlan  C.  Vass  says  that  the  United  States 
troops  during  the  War  Between  the  States  attempted  to  pull 
do-mi  what  remained  of  the  walls  of  the  old  buildings,  in 
order  to  get  the  brick ;  but  that,  so  strong  was  the  cement,  no 
whole  bricks  could  be  gotten,  and  hence  the  attempt  was  given 
lip.  He  also  states  that  sundry  relics  of  the  Palace  and 
Tryon  were  then  (1886)  in  New  Beni,  including  a  fine 
clock,  a  silver  tea-kettle,  a  child's  chair,  a  marble  and  rose- 
wood table,  a  writing-desk  once  used  by  the  Governor,  dresses 
worn  by  ladies  of  New  Bern  to  the  Palace  balls,  etc. 

When  General  Washington  visited  New  Bern  in  April, 
1791,  the  Palace  was  used  for  the  fetes  which  were  given  iu 
his  honor.  On  the  21st  of  the  above  month  he  was  enter- 
tained at  a  public  dinner  there ;  and  afterwards  attended  a 
dance,    where   the   company   included   upwards   of   seventy 

*  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  Bern.  p.  94. 


t\i  GOVEKNOR    TEYON 

ladies.*  Little  did  Tryou  think,  when  taking  his  ease  in  this 
fine  mansion,  that,  in  so  few  years,  its  occupant  would  be 
driven  from  America  and  the  house  itself  used  in  doing  honor 
to  a  man  whom,  above  all  others.  King  George  held  in  abhor- 
rence as  an  arch  rebel  and  traitor ! 

The  picture  of  the  Palace  shown  in  this  work  is  based  upon 
a  plan  preserved  by  John  Hawks,  the  architect. 

At  its  session  of  1768  the  colonial  Assembly,  by  Chapter 
Xf  of  its  enactments,  erected  a  coiinty  in  the  Piedmont  sec- 
tion of  the  province  (out  of  a  part  of  Mecklenburg)  and 
called  it  in  honor  of  the  Governor.  But  Tryon  county,  North 
Carolina  (like  Tryon  county,  Xew  York),  is  now  a  thing  of 
the  past;  for,  by  Chapter  XXIII  of  the  Laws  of  1779,  the 
name  was  wiped  from  the  map  by  the  erection  out  of  it  of  two 
new  counties — ^named  for  Revolutionary  patriots — Lincoln 
and  Rutherford.  By  Chapter  XIX, :}:  passed  at  the  saine 
session,  a  similar  thrust  was  made  at  Lord  Bute ;  for  Bute 
county  was  likewise  divided  into  two  new  counties — Warren 
and  Franklin.  Liven  an  honor  paid  to  old  Governor  Dobbs 
(who  died  before  the  Revolution  was  ever  thought  of)  was 
afterwards  revoked  l)y  the  passage  of  Chapter  XLVII  of  the 
Laws  of  1791,  whereby  Dobbs  county  was  also  divided  into 
two  new  counties,  which  were  given  the  names  of  Lenoir  and 
Glasgow ;  but  the  "jjatriot"  from  whom  the  latter  took  its 
name  was  afteinvards  convicted  of  forging  laud  gTants,  so 

"Washington's  Diary  published  in  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History,  1896,  Vol.  II, 
No.  2.  p.  185. 

i  See  Iredell's  collection  of  statutes,  also  Martin's:  Chapter  X  in  Davis's  collection  is 
different. 

t  See  Iredell's  collection  of  statutes. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  73 

Greene  was  substituted  for  Glasgow  by  Chapter  XXXIX  of 
the  Laws  of  1799. 

Though  Tryou  county  has  been  abolished,  there  is  a  town 
(in  the  county  of  Polk)  which  takes  its  name  from  the  Gov- 
ernor, as  does  also  Tryon  Mountain,  several  miles  distant 
therefrom,  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  counties  called  in  honor  of 
Johnston  and  Martin,  who  were  royal  Governors,  escaped  a 
change  because  there  were  two  whig  Governors  who  bore  the 
same  names.  And,  as  illustrative  of  the  gratitude  of  om- 
ancestors  to  friends  in  Great  Britain,  it  is  well  to  observe 
that  while  the  war  was  in  full  blast,  in  1777,  John  Wilkes 
and  the  Earl  of  Camden  had  counties  named  for  them. 
Burke  county  probably  took  its  name  from  Governor  Thomas 
Burke;  for,  at  the  same  session,  one  was  named  for  Gov- 
ernor Caswell,  a  contemporary  statesman  in  Xorth  Caro- 
lina. It  lias  been  often  stated  that  tlie  county  men- 
tioned was  named  for  Edmund  Burke.  Possibly  it  Avas  a 
liking  for  botli  of  these  Burkes  which  caused  the  name  to 
be  selected.  In  1779  one  was  named  for  the  Duke  of  Kich- 
niond;  and,  as  late  as  1785,  after  independence  had  been 
won,  Charles  Watson  Wentworth,  Marquis  of  Rockingham, 
received  a  similar  honor.  For  him,  also,  the  county-seat  of 
Rockingham  is  called  Wentworth.  There  is  likewise  a  town 
of  Rockinghajn  in  the  above  mentioned  county  of  Richmond. 
Before  the  Revolution,  in  17(30,  a  county  was  given  the  name 
"f  Pitt  for  William  Pitt,  afterwards  Earl  of  Chatham; 
furthermore,  in  1770,  by  way  of  an  additional  honor,  Chat- 
liam  county  was  erected,  and  the  county-seat  of  the  latter  is 


74  GOVEKNOE    TETON 

caUed  Pittsborougli,  as  a  compliment  to  tlie  same  statesman. 
And  names  of  the  royal  family — despite  its  hostility  to  the 
colonies — are  still  preserved  by  the  counties  of  Brunswick, 
Orange,  New  Hanover,  Mecklenburg,  and  Cumberland. 

jSTor  should  we  omit  to  mention  the  coimty  of  Wake,  about 
the  origin  of  whose  name  has  centered  so  much  discussion. 
Wake  county,  in  which  Raleigh,  the  State  capital,  is  situated, 
•was  erected  by  Chapter  XII  of  the  Laws  of  1770,  the  act 
being  passed  by  the  Assembly  on  December  23d,  and  by  the 
Coimcil  on  the  27th  of  that  month,  with  a  proviso  that  it 
should  not  take  effect  imtil  Marcli  12,  1771.  The  cJuii-ter 
of  the  new  county  was  formally  signed  by  Governor  Tryon 
on  May  22,  1771.*  From  this  it  would  appear  that  his  ap- 
proval was  given  while  encamped  with  his  anuy  at  Sandy 
Oreek  after  the  battle  of  Alamance ;  for,  on  that  day  he  was 
at  Sandy  Creek,  as  sho-wn  by  his  military  Order  Book.  Por- 
tions of  the  comities  of  Johnston,  Ciunbcrland,  and  Orange 
were  severed  for  the  erection  of  Wake,  which,  under  the  En- 
glish church-establishment,  was  known  as  the  Parish  of  St. 
Margaret.  That  the  name  of  Wake  was  given  in  honor  of 
a  member  of  the  family  to  which  Ti-yon  was  allied  by  mar- 
riage has  never  been  questioned ;  but  the  perplexing  point 
has  been  whether  it  was  named  for  Mrs.  Tiyon,  nee  Wake, 
or  for  her  sister.  The  historian  Martin  states  that  it  was 
called  in  honor  of  the  Governor's  wife ;  Jo.  Seawell  Jones  of 
Shocco,  in  his  Defence  of  North  Carolin<i,  ascribes  the  name's 
origin  to  Miss  Esther  Wake,  a  beautiful  yoimg  lady  who  was 

•  Colonial  ReconJB  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  299.  333-334 ;  copy  of  charter  in  archives  of 
Wake  county. 


OF    NOETII    CAROLINA.  75 

the  sister  of  Mrs.  Tryou;  Judge  Gastou  (a  New  Beni  man, 
whose  mother  was  once  a  member  of  Tryon's  household)  con- 
tended that  Miss  Esther  was  a  creation  of  Jones's  imagina- 
tion; Wheeler  and  Governor  Swain  wei-e  inclined  to  the 
opinion  of  Gaston ;  Doctor  Battle  wavers  between  historical 
doubts  and  his  early  reverence  for  the  memory  of  the  lovely 
Esther;  Mrs.  Spencer  supports  the  statement  of  "Shocco" 
Jones,  and  here  the  matter  stands,  so  far  as  past  writings  are 
concerned.* 

But,  after  all  said  and  done,  no  one  has  been  able  to  find 
any  trace  in  the  old  records  of  this  "rare  and  radiant  maiden" 
whom  the  Tar-heels  call  Esther.  None  of  the  letters  of  the 
colonial  period  mention  her.  No  known  documents  of  any 
sort  in  either  North  Carolina  or  New  York  have  a  word  to 
say  of  her.  When  the  Governor's  House  in  Fort  George, 
New  York,  was  burned,  her  name  is  not  given  among  those 
of  its  inmates,  though  the  members  of  Tryon's  household  are 
enumerated.  Nor  is  she  mentioned  in  the  will  of  Mrs. 
Tryon,  who  left  no  children  on  whom  to  settle  her  fortune, 
and  therefore  divided  it  among  her  friends. 

So  all  this  about  settles  the  fact  that  Esther  Wake — that 
vision  of  loveliness  which  for  so  many  years  has  been  the  idol 
of  North  Carolina  romancers — was  none  other  than  a  crea- 
ture of  fancy,  brought  forth  from  the  realms  of  Faii-yland 
by  the  pen  of  a  sentimental  writer.     Many  historians,  other- 

*  Martin's  History  of  N.  C.  Vol.  n,  p.  271;  Jones's  Defence,  pp.  18.  44-45;  Gaston,  Swain, 
and  Bryan,  mentioned  and  quoted  by  Hon.  K.  P.  Battle  in  N.  C.  University  Magazine, 
November.  1894,  p.  91,  et  seq.;  Wheeler's  History  of  N.  C,  Part  H,  p.  414;  Mrs.  C.  P. 
Spencer  in  Raleigh  (N.  C.)  News  and  Observer  (supplement),  Sunday,  November  25,  1894. 


76  GOTEENOR    TRYOX 

v.'ise  acfurato,  have  been  firm  believers  in  her  cxisteiiee,  and 
no  one  can  regret  more  than  the  author  of  this  biography 
that  our  beautiful  and  fascinating  heroine  has  failed  to  ma- 
terialize. Queen  of  Love  and  Beauty,  farewell ! — and  peace 
to  your  ashes,  if  you  left  any. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA. 


OHxYPTEE  VI. 


FIRST  INSURRECTION  OF  THE  REGULATORS— TRYOX'S  CAJI- 
PAIGN  AGAINST  THEM  IN  17G8 —  OFFICIAL  ABUSES  — 
SCARCITY  OF  CURRENCY— COLONEL  EDMUND  FANNING— 
FIRST  ATTACK  ON  HILLSBOROUGH  BY  REGULATORS— HER- 
MON  HUSBAND  AND  WILLIAM  BUTLER  ARRESTED— HIGH 
TITLES  IN  SMALL  ARMY  UNDER  TRYON— COLONEL  ALEX- 
ANDER  OSBORNE— JUDGES   MOORE   AND   HENDRESON. 

The  subject  to  which  we  now  come  is  that  insurrection  in 
Xorth  Carolina  whose  supporters,  as  the  historian  Williauisou 
puts  it,  called  themselves  RcfjuJaiors,  lest  others  should  call 
them  a  mob.  In  fact,  "the  mob"  was  really  the  only  name 
by  which  they  were  at  first  knomi,  even  among  themselves. 

The  War  of  the  Regulation  has  been  the  tlieme  of  so  many 
books,  magazine  articles,  oratorical  flights  on  North  Caro- 
lina's greatness,  and  attempts  at  jxtetry,  that  to  se].)arate  the 
^^•hcat  from  the  chaif  is  well-nigh  impossible. 

Scarcelj-  has  there  ever  l>een  a  reference  to  the  battle  of 
Alamance  that  it  is  not  characterized  as  the  scene  where  the 
first  blood  of  the  Eevolution  was  shed,  yet  no  v,-ritor  has  at- 
tempted to  prove  by  contemporary  evidence  that  the  Regula- 
tors even  so  much  as  dreamed  of  independence.  On  the  other 
hand,  wiien  an  opportunity  to  fight  for  liberty  presented  itself 
a  few  years  later,  they  nearly  all  became  Tories,  as  will  be 
shown  later  on.  And  the  North  Carolina  militia  soldiers 
who  marched  from  their  homes  to  the  scene  of  the  disturb- 
ances in  Orange  county  are  spoken  of  in  the  average  history 
as  the  Royal  Troops  of  England ! 


7a  GOVEHNOE    TEYOI^ 

In  an  article  by  Doctor  John  Spencer  Bassett,  published 
in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  American  Historical  Associa- 
tion for  1894,  that  -writer  reaches  the  very  sensible  conclu- 
sions : 

First.  That  the  Regulation  was  not  attempted  as  a  revolu- 
tion.    It  was  rather  a  peasants'  uprising,  a  popular  upheaval. 

Second.  That  the  Regulation  was  not  a  religious  move- 
ment.    It  was  rather  of  an  economic  or  political  nature. 

It  was  not  only  not  religions,  continues  Doctor  Bassett,  but 
it  had  the  opposition  of  at  least  four  of  tlie  five  leading  denom- 
inations in  the  disaffected  district. 

To  get  at  the  true  source  of  trouble  with  the  Regulators 
is  rather  difficult,  though  there  is  no  imcertainty  about  the 
cause  which  provoked  the  movement.  This  was  the  extor- 
tionate conduct  of  county  officials  in  North  Carolina,  made 
more  burdensome  by  the  scarcity  of  a  circulating  mediran  or 
legal  tender  money. 

The  British  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  was  a  North 
Carolina  insurrection  and  suppressed  by  North  Carolina  sol- 
diers sei-ving  imder  North  Carolina  officers — all  except  Tryon 
himself  were  NortJi  Carolinians,  and  even  he  was  one  for 
the  time  being.  But  of  course  any  treason  against  North 
Carolina  was  indirectly  treason  against  the  King,  as  its 
supreme  ruler;  and,  in  the  formal  bills  of  indictment,  etc., 
the  King's  name  is  used,  as  is  always  the  case  in  British 
dduiiiiions. 

The  man  whose  name,  above  all  others,  has  been  associated 
with  the  official  abuses  complained  of,  was  Colonel  Edmund 
Faruiing.     This  person  graduated  from  Yale  in  the  class  of 


OF    NOETII    CAROLINA.  Y9 

1757.*  TliOTigli  certainly  not  so  black  as  painted,  histoiy 
charges  him  with  being  giiilty  of  many  extortionate  and 
irregular  practices ;  and  we  are  told  that  he  conducted  himself 
with  an  insufferable  hauteur  in  his  dealings  with  the  people. 
The  idea  (to  quote  his  own  words)  of  being  "arraigned  at 
the  bar  of  their  shallow  understanding"  did  not  have  a  very 
soothing  effect  on  him.  And  it  must  be  said  that  his  blind 
adherence  to  each  and  every  move  of  either  the  King  or  Gov- 
ernor, in  both  the  colonial  and  revolutionary  periods,  would 
not  (even  were  he  above  reproach  in  all  other  respects)  give 
an  impression  that  such  adherence  was  altogether  disinter- 
ested in  a  native  American,  for  he  was  born  in  New  York. 
During  the  Eevolution  (at  which  time  he  had  returned  to 
New  York)  he  remained  loyal  to  Great  Britain  and  was 
Colonel  of  the  "King's  American  Regiment." 

That  some  of  Fanning's  illegal  charges  were  made  in  pur- 
suance of  rules  laid  down  for  his  gaiidance  by  the  Superior 
Court,  of  which  he  was  an  officer,  must  be  admitted.  When 
he  was  found  guilty  at  the  September  Term,  1768,  of  charg- 
ing six  shillings  for  registering  a  deed,  while  the  law  was  sup- 
posed to  allow  only  two  shillings  and  eight  pence,  his  case  was 
refeiTed  to  John  Morgan,  Esquire,  of  the  Inner  Temple,  Lon- 
don, upon  the  following  statement : 

"On  an  indictment  in  Hillsborough  Suijerior  Court  of 
Justice,  for  said  province,  in  September  last,  Echnund  Fan- 
ning, Register  of  Orange  county,  duly  appointed  and  quali- 
fied, was  found  guilty  of  extortion  in  his  office  as  Register 
for  taking  6s  on  Deed  No.  13. 

•  For  sketch  of  his  life,  see  pp.  458-462,  Vol.  II  of  Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Gradu- 
ates of  Yale  College,  by  Franklin  Bowditch  Dexter;  see  also,  sketch  by  Edward  Jenner 
Wood  in  North  Carolina  University  Magazine  for  February,  1899,  p.  135. 


so  GOVERNOK    TKYOX 

"On  the  trial  it  was  given  in  evidence  and  declared  from 
the  Bench  that  the  taking  did  not  hy  any  means  appear  to  be 
a  tortious  taking,  as  the  said  Register  had,  previous  to  his 
entering  on  the  said  office,  requested  the  Justices  of  the 
County  Court  (the  supreme  jurisdiction  of  the  county)  to 
consider  on  the  fee-bill,  who  after  so  doing  in  open  Court, 
instructed  the  said  Register  that  he  was  legally  entitled  to 
6.S  and  odd  jience,  at  least,  for  every  deed  whatever,  with  pro- 
bate, order  for  registering,  and  Register's  certificate  of  the 
due  registering;  and,  in  case  of  other  instmments,  more — as 
by  bill  drawn  up  by  the  Court  and  delivered  to  the  said  Reg- 
ister. The  opinion  of  the  late  Attorney-General  of  North 
Carolina  was  likewise  taken  on  this  matter,  who  declared 
that  the  Register  was  entitled  to  demand  fees  to  the  amount 
of  8s  7d  on  any  deed. 

"On  application,  several  other  Registers  furnished  him 
with  Bills  under  their  hands,  for  fees  taken  for  the  same  ser- 
vices, for  considerably  more  than  Gs. 

"The  said  Register,  however,  to  be  within  the  law  as  he 
conceived,  demanded  and  took  upon  all  deeds  C>s  only."' 

Uix)n  these  facts  and  the  deed  itself  submitted  to  him,  Mr. 
Morgan  gave  it  as  his  opinion : 

"On  the  Deed  13  and  endorsements,  I  am  of  opinion  that 
the  Register  is  entitled  to  four  fees,  viz. :  (1.)  For  the  deed  ; 
(2.)  For  the  certificate  of  the  examination  of  the  feme  covert; 
(3.)  Certificate  of  persons  examining,  being  justices;  (4.) 
The  oath  of  execution  and  order  to  register."  Morgan  fur- 
ther obsei'ves:  "I  think  in  the  present  ease  the  Register  was 
not  liable  to  be  indicted,  for  two  reasons:  (1.)  I  am  clearly 
of  opinion  lie  was  legally  entitled  to  more  than  he  took  as  to 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  81 

ISTo.  13;  (2.)  Supiwse  he  was  not,  we  should  then  inquire 
quo  anvnio  he  took  the  6s.  The  answer  is:  not  wath  intent 
to  extort,  but  through  an  invohmtary  mistake — under  a  sup- 
position of  right,  consequently  he  is  not  criminal.  In  this 
case,  Mr.  Fanning  did  actually  intend  to  take  less  than  he 
conceived  himself  entitled  to.  And  on  entering  into  his 
office,  acted  in  the  most  prudent  manner,  by  requesting  the 
Justices  of  the  County  Court,  to  ascertain  his  fees.  I  should 
think  that  the  very  allowance  of  a  court  of  justice  would  be 
sufficient  to  exculpate  Mr.  Fanning  at  conunon  law  had  he 
taken  more  than  he  was  entitled  to  by  the  Act  of  Assembly ; 
and  that,  in  such  a  case,  there  would  not  have  been  any  mode 
of  proceeding  but  by  action  of  debt.  He  may  be  said  to  have 
acted  with  the  approbation  of  the  Justices;  and  therefore, 
for  their  honour,  it  is  incimibent  on  the  Judges,  befoi-e  whom 
this  matter  is  pending,  to  give  all  the  relief  they  can  to  Mr. 
Fanning."* 

If  none  of  Fanning's  offenses  were  worse  than  the  one  just 
cited,  surely  he  has  been  abused  beyond  his  deserts.  And  it 
may  be  added  that  some  charges  against  him  are  untitle  on 
their  face.  Take,  for  example,  the  statement  of  Eeverend 
E.  W.  Caruthers  that  Frohock  (the  Clerk  of  Rowan  coimty) 
and  Fanning  made  it  a  practice  to  charge  fifteen  dollars  for 
a  marriage  license,  when  the  law  allowed  a  much  smaller 
amount;  and  tliat  Fanning,  in  particular,  would  charge  five 
dollars  for  recording  a  deed  when  the  law  allowed  only  one 
dollar,  f     Now,   if,   instead  of  relying  on  hearsay,   Doctor 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  33-36. 
t  Life  of  Caldwell,  by  Caruthers.  pp.  114-115. 


82  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

Canithers  had  consulted  the  laws  of  the  period  of  which  he 
jjrof esses  to  treat,  he  would  see  that  the  word  ''dollar"  is 
nowhere  to  be  found.  All  fees  were  presci'ibed  and  paid  ac- 
cording to  the  English  system — ^pounds,  shillings,  and  pence. 
Nor  is  it  merely  quibbling  over  monetaiy  terms  to  make  this 
contradiction  of  Caruthers ;  for,  when  Fanning  was  indicted 
as  above,  the  record  shows  that  his  charge  for  recording  a 
deed  was  six  shillings,  and  that  lacks  a  good  deal  of  being 
iive  dollars. 

In  his  History  of  North  Carolina,  Williamson  makes  the 
charge  that  Fanning,  being  unused  to  action  and  deiicient  in 
courage,  fled  precipitately  from  the  field  of  Alamance  with 
all  of  his  command  except  Captain  Francis  Nash's  comjiany ; 
yet  one  of  the  chief  reasons  assigned  by  Tryon  for  afterwards 
appointing  Fanning  to  oflice  in  New  York  was  the  fact  that 
he  had  behaved  so  well  under  fire  in  this  battle,  the  Governor 
saying  to  the  Privy  Council  at  the  time  of  making  the  ap- 
pointment: "He  is  a  gentleman,  my  Lords,  that  on  the  auspi- 
cious 16th  of  May,  Her  Majesty's  birthday,  headed  two  hun- 
dred men  at  the  battle  of  Alamance  and,  by  his  brave  example 
contributed  to  the  success  of  that  day."* 

The  estimation  in  which  Colonel  Fanning  was  held  by  the 
colonial  Assembly  of  North  Carolina  is  sliown  by  the  pas- 
sage of  a  resolution  through  that  body  on  January  25,  1771, 
finding  the  charges  ag-ainst  him  "false,  wretched,  and  mali- 
cious"; and  declaring  that  (so  far  as  anything  had  been 
made  to  appear  to  the  House)  his  conduct  had  been  "fair, 
just,  and  lionoural)k',  both  as  a  member  of  tlie  House  in  par- 

•  Documents  relating  to  the  Colonial  Records  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Vol.  VIU.  p.  327. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  83 

ticiilar  and  of  the  conununity  in  general."  This  resolution 
was  not  only  jja-ssed,  but  passed  unanimously  by  an  Assem- 
bly in  which  were  such  men  as  Griffith  Rutherford  of  Eowan, 
Thomas  Polk  of  Mecklenburg,  Eichard  Caswell  of  the  bor- 
ough of  K"ew  Bern,  Robert  Howe  of  Bninswick,  Howell 
Lewis  of  Granville,  JSTeedham  Bryan  of  Johnston,  John 
Campbell  of  Bertie,  Cornelius  Harnett  of  the  borough  of 
Wilming-ton,  and  others  of  like  character.* 

When  the  War  of  the  Revolution  was  ended  Fanning  re- 
moved to  Nova  Scotia.  There  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Council,  and  was  later  made  Governor  of  St.  John's  Island, 
now  known  as  Prince  Edward  Island.  At  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1818,  he  was  a  resident  of  London 
and  held  a  general's  commission  in  the  British  service. 
From  an  English  stand-point,  in  the  Oentleinans  Magazine, 
it  was  then  said :  "The  world  did  not  contain  a  better  man  in 
all  the  varioiLs  relations  of  life:  a  husband,  a  parent,  and  a 
friend.  As  a  landlord  and  master  he  was  kind  and  indul- 
gent. He  was  much  disting-uished  in  the  American  war, 
and  raised  a  regiment  there,  by  which  he  lost  a  very  large 
liroperty." 

The  number  of  literaiy  degi-ees  conferred  upon  Edmund 
Fanning  was  somewhat  remarkable,  and  not  only  attests  his 
scholastic  excellence,  but  also  the  high  esteem  in  which  he 
Avas  held  in  America,  as  well  as  in  England,  both  before  and 
after  the  Revolution.  He  was  graduated  Bachelor  of  Ai-ts 
from  Yale  in  1757,  and  later  was  made  Master  of  Arts  by 
the  same  institution,  which  also  conferred  upon  him  the  de- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  303-304,  461. 


8.4  GOVEENOE  TETON 

gree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  in  1803.  He  was  given  the  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts  by  Hansard  in  1764,  and  by  King's  Col- 
lege (now  Columbia)  in  1772.  In  1803  Dartmouth  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  in  England,  gave  him  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Civil  Law  in  1774.  It  may  be  qiiestioned  whether  any 
American-born  citizen  up  to  the  time  of  Fanning  was  ever 
the  recipient  of  so  many  honors  of  a  like  kind.  And  it  should 
be  remembered  that  Yale  and  Dartmouth  conferred  their 
highest  degrees  after  the  Revolution,  when  the  bitter  feeling 
engendered  by  that  war,  in  which  Fanning  sided  against  the 
colonies,  had  not  been  wiped  away. 

One  of  Colonel  Fanning's  nephews  was  the  great  Virginia 
lawyer,  John  Wickham,  who  was  of  counsel  for  the  defense  in 
Aaron  Burr's  trial  for  treason. 

Edmimd  Fanning  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Tory 
marauder  and  outlaw,  Ctilonel  David  Fanning  of  North 
Carolina.  They  were  in  no  way  related.  And  it  should  also 
be  noted  that  the  statement,  often  made,  that  Ednuuid  Fan- 
ning was  a  son-in-law  of  Governor  Tryon  is  entirely  without 
foundation  in  fact. 

Something  also  shonld  be  said  of  the  P'rohocks  of  Rowan, 
against  whom  Carutlicrs  makes  so  many  sweeping  charges. 
Another  writer.  Reverend  Jethro  Rmnple,  in  his  Histoiy  of 
Roivan  County*  gives  tJie  impression  that  tliey  were  not  such 
a  corrupt  set  after  all.  Of  Colonel  John  Frohock  (who  died  in 
1772),  Rumple' says  his  great  fortune  was  amassed  by  enter- 
ing unoccu]ii('d  public  lands;  and  tlmt  he  (nnied  real  pro]!- 

•  History  of  Rowan  County,  pp.  57-61. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  85 

erty  on  the  Yadkin,  Saxapahaw,  and  Tar  rivers,  and  in  Vir- 
ginia. This  account  adds:  "He  mentions  neither  wife  nor 
child  in  his  will,  and  it  is  presumed  that  he  was  not  married. 
Besides  the  kindness  shown  in  the  liberation  and  education 
of  his  body  sei'vaut,  Absalom,  he  expressly  enjoins  that  his 
debtors  should  not  be  oppressed  or  sued,  but  ample  time  given 
to  them  to  j^ay  their  debts  to  his  executors."  The  same 
\\Titer  continues:  "Dr.  Caruthers  designates  Thomas  Fro-  - 
hock  as  a  'bachelor,'  but  the  evidence  of  his  will  is  to  the  con-  ' 
traiy.  His  will,  in  1794,  leaves  his  property  to  his  son, 
Alexander  Frohock,  and  to  his  daughter,  Elizabeth,  who  was 
in;uTied  to  Charles  Hnnt,  a  merchant  of  Salisbury.  *  *  *  * 
He  gave  to  the  towm  the  lot  now  kno^\^l  as  the  'English  Grave- 
yard' or  'Oak  Grove  Cemetery,'  and  the  School  House  lot  im- 
mediately in  front."  Beside*  these  brothers  there  was  a 
third,  William  Frohock,  at  one  time  an  officer  of  militia  and 
Deputy  Sheriff  of  Rowan.  John  Frohock  was  Clerk  of 
the  District  Court,  and  Thomas  was  Clerk  of  the  Superior 
Court.  They  at  one  time  lived  in  Halifax  county.  When 
the  to^\•n  of  Charlotte  was  first  given  a  charter  (Chapter 
XI,  Private  Laws  of  1768),  John  Frohock  was  one  of  the 
three  conmaissioners  vested  with  the  govei-nment  of  that  now 
famous  borough,  his  associates  being  Abraiam  Alexander 
and  Thomas  Polk.  The  last  named  also  acted  as  Towti 
Treasurer. 

The  seareity  of  a  circulating  medium  had  a  good  deal  to 
do  with  the  insurrection  of  the  Regiilators.  There  was  little 
money  in  the  province,  especially  in  the  middle  and  western 
sections,  and  taxes  could  not  be  paid  without  it.  Time  and 
again  would  the  Assembly  attempt  to  stem  the  difficulty  by  a 


86  GOVEBNOE    TRTON 

method  which  had  been  before  employed — the  emission  of 
paper  currency — but  its  action  woukl  fail  to  receive  the 
royal  assent,  and  therefore  become  of  no  effect.*  Finally, 
some  relief  was  obtained  by  a  small  issue  of  "notes  of  credit," 
which,  though  not  legal  tender,  sufficed  as  a  domestic  mediimi. 
Wliile  the  misconduct  of  the  public  officials  in  the  counties, 
where  the  Regulators  rose  up  in  arms,  was  bad  enough  in 
itself,  it  has  been  made  to  appear  far  worse  by  many  writers 
who  receive  with  implicit  faith  all  the  wild  and  improbable 
traditions  of  the  section  where  the  trouble  occurred.  Take, 
as  an  example,  the  statement  in  the  first  series  of  a  work 
entitled  The  Old  North  State  in  1776,-f  by  the  Eeverend  E. 
W.  Caruthers,  where  that  -writer  says:  "In  the  county  of 
Orange,  and  not  far  from  the  present  seat  of  Chapel  Hill, 
when  the  Sheriff  was  going  over  the  coiuitiy  distraining  and 
selling  the  property  of  every  man  who  did  not  instantly  pay 
the  amount  of  tax  demanded,  accompanied,  too,  by  his  depu- 
ties, and  perhaps  some  others,  well  armed  and  attending  him 
as  a  life  guard,  he  came  to  the  house  of  a  poor  man  who  was 
not  at  home;  but,  as  if  determined  not  to  be  wholly  disap- 
pointed in  his  object,  and  not  finding  anything  else,  or  not 
enough  of  anything  else  to  satisfy  his  demands,  he  took  oif 
his  wife's  dress,  which  she  had  on  at  tlie  time,  and  which  she 
had  made  with  her  own  hands,  sold  it  Tinder  the  hammer  for 
her  husband's  tax,  and  then,  giving  her  a  box  or  slap  with 
his  hand,  told  her  to  go  and  make  another.  This  was  related 
to  me  some  foui'tocn  or  fifteen  years  ago  by  an  old  gentleman 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.C.  Vol.  VU,  pp.  570.  678-683,  709,  792,  866,  892,  922,  987:  Ibid., 
Vol.  VIII,  pp.  9.  651. 
t  The  Old  North  State  in  1776.  pp.  21-22. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  87 

of  respectability  in  that  region ;  and  he  gave  it  merely  as  illus- 
trative of  the  course  pursued  by  the  'tax  gatherers'  in  that 
quarter."  While  this  is  given  by  the  writer  just  quoted  as 
illustrative  of  the  coiu-se  pursued  by  the  tax  gatherers,  it  is 
still  more  illustrative  of  the  fact  that  the  "old  gentleman  of 
respectability"  who  told  this  tale  to  Doctor  Caruthers  had  a 
very  gullible  listener.  That  household  furniture  (even  in- 
cluding beds)  was  levied  on  then,  as  now,  for  the  non-pay- 
ment of  taxes,  is  tnie.  But  asking  sensible  persons  to  believe 
that  the  sheriffs  of  that  day  went  around  collecting  taxes  in 
the  peculiai-,  not  to  say  indelicate,  manner  above  described, 
is  too  great  a  strain  on  human  credulity. 

This  same  Doctor  Oaruthers,  in  his  Life  of  the  Reverend 
David  Caldwell,*  favors  us  with  a  touching  little  romance 
concerning  the  death  of  James  Few,  which  runs  as  follows: 
"He  was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  young  lady  whom  Fan- 
ning seduced.  He  then  joined  the  Eegulators ;  was  taken  on 
the  field  of  battle,  and,  at  the  instigation  of  Fanning,  was 
executed  on  the  spot."  The  above  italics  are  in  the  original. 
Of  the  death  of  Few — who,  by  the  bye,  was  a  married  man, 
and  not  a  blighted  young  bachelor — mention  virill  later  be 
made.  Tryon's  official  report  says  that  it  occun-ed  on  the 
day  after  the  battle,  and  omits  to  state  that  he  was  hanged  as 
a  delicate  little  attention  to  Ck)lonel  Fanning. 

As  early  as  Augiist,  1766,  there  had  been  some  movement 
at  Haddock's  Mill,  on  the  Eno  river,  a  few  miles  from  Hills- 
borough, to  consult  for  the  redress  of  grievances.-)-  It  was 
provided  that  no  liquor  should  be  accessible  at  this  meeting, 

*  Life  of  the  Reverend  David  Caldwell,  p.  158. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C  Vol.  VU,  pp.  249-252. 


88  GOVERNOR  TRYON 

which  was  a  very  wise  precaution ;  for,  if  the  performances  of 
the  Regulators  a  few  years  later  were  indulged  in  when  sober, 
there  is  no  telling  to  what  extreme  they  would  have  gone  if 
driuLk.  The  tenn  "Eegulator"  was  borrowed  from  tin  organ- 
ization which  had  previously  existed  in  South  Carolina.* 

Sometime  in  the  year  1768  a  second  meeting  was  held  and 
a  set  of  resolutions  passed,  setting  forth  the  gTievances  of 
which  the  people  complained.  The  parties  to  this  compact 
boimd  themselves  to  pay  no  greater  taxes  than  the  law  j^ro- 
vided  and  to  see  that  the  taxes  were  properly  applied ;  to  exer- 
cise the  legal  right  of  petitioning  the  Governor  and  legisla- 
tive body  of  North  Carolina,  or  the  King  and  Parliament,  if 
necessary ;  and  to  join  in  defraying  the  exjjenses  of  presenting 
their  case  in  the  manner  projwsed.  This  was  moderate 
enough,  as  was  also  a  memorial  dated  March  22,  1768,  which 
demanded  that  the  public  officers  should  give  an  accoimt  of 
their  stewardship  to  the  people.f  But  less  than  a  month  later 
began  to  appear  that  mob  violence  which  was  regarded  by  all 
of  the  respectable  citizens  of  the  colony  as  a  blot  on  the  good 
name  of  North  Carolina.  On  the  8th  of  April  rioters,  to  the 
number  of  about  one  hundred,  came  into  Hillsborough  to  take 
from  the  Sheriff  a  horse -which  had  been  levied  on  for  the 
non-payment  of  taxes;  not  content  with  this,  they  bound 
the  Sheriff  with  ropes,  maltreated  other  inliabitants,  and 
amused  themselves  by  firing  shots  through  the  house  of  Ed- 
niuiul  Fanning,  who  was  then  absent  from  towni.:}:  Immedi- 
ately after  this  disorder,  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  Gray,  of 

"  Article  on  Reprulation,  by  Dr.  J.  S.  Bassett,  in  Report  of  the  American  Historical 
Association  for  1894,  p.  164.  note  (quoting  authorities). 
tColonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VH.  pp.  f)71-fi72.  699-700. 
}  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VH,  pp.  705-707. 


OF    NOBTH    CAEOLINA.  89 

the  Orange  county  militia,  prepared  to  raise  troops  to  protect 
the  town  against  future  attacks.  For  this  purpose  he  called 
a  council  of  the  officers  under  him.  These  were  Major 
Thomas  Lloyd,  Adjutant  Francis  ISTash,  and  Captains  Holt, 
Hart,  Thompson,  King,  Mebane,  Lytle,  and  Thackston.  In 
a  letter  dated  April  17th,  two  of  these  gentlemen,  Captains 
ISTash  and  Hart,  reported  that  when  the  militia  was  ordered 
to  assemble  only  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  effective  men 
could  be  gotten  together,  as  so  many  of  the  inhabitants  were 
in  sympatby  with  the  mob.  All  of  the  officers,  however,  said 
this  letter,  behaved  with  the  utmost  loyalty,  firmness  and  reso- 
lution, and  to  a  man  could  be  relied  upon  to  ventiu'e  their 
lives  and  fortunes  in  support  of  any  measures  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  such  a  lawless  and  rebellious  crew.* 

As  already  mentioned,  Edmimd  Fanning  was  absent  from 
Hillsborough  when  these  occun-ences  took  place.  But  he 
returned  post-haste,  immediately  upon  hearing  of  the  dis- 
turbances, to  assume  conmiand  of  the  Orange  coimty  militia, 
of  which  he  was  colonel.  He  also  dispatched  a  special  mes- 
senger to  Governor  Tryon,  then  at  Wilmington,  giving  an 
account  of  the  troubles  existing.  In  his  letter  Fanning  stated 
that  the  agitation  among  the  people  had  first  arisen  in  Anson 
eoimty  and  then  spread  into  the  territoiy  adjoining;  and 
that,  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  the  Regulators  in  Orange 
had  a  plan  on  foot  to  raise  a  force  of  about  fifteen  hundred 
men  and  march  them  into  Hillsborough  on  the  3d  of  May, 
when  they  would  lay  the  town  in  ashes  if  their  demands  were 
not  complied  witli.     In  order  to  frustrate  their  plan,  he  also 

*  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VU,  pp.  710-712. 


90  GOVEENOE  TETON 

said  it  was  his  intention  to  have  the  ring-leaders  arrested 
under  cover  of  night,  though  he  feared  this  might  precipitate 
matters. 

That  the  capture  of  Hillsborough,  on  May  3d,  was  proposed, 
does  not  rest  upon  Fanning's  testimony  alone;  for,  in  the 
records  of  proceedings  by  a  coimcil  of  the  Regulators  on  April 
25th,  we  find  that  a  clergyman  visited  them  and  "by  the  power 
of  persuasions  and  argiunent"  induced  thorn  to  promise  they 
would  not  go  into  town  before  the  lltli  of  that  month  unless 
some  of  their  property  was  in  the  meantime  levied  on  for 
taxes,  in  which  event  twelve  of  their  niunber  were  to  go  in 
for  a  parley  upon  the  matter.*  Though  Fanning  had  said 
he  woidd  consider  it  a  disgrace  to  have  to  call  on  an  outside 
force  to  aid  in  suppressing  a  disturbance  in  his  own  county, 
the  Provincial  Coimcil  took  a  different  view ;  and,  by  its 
advice,  the  Governor  ordered  the  militia  colonels  of  Bute, 
Halifax,  Granville,  Rowan,  Mecklenburg,  Anson,  Cumber- 
land, and  Johnston  counties  to  be  ready  to  furnish  assistance 
if  required.  Being  willing  to  share  personally  any  danger 
which  might  arise,  Tryon  wrote  Colonel  Fanning:  "The  best 
testimony  I  can  give  of  my  approbation  of  such  steady  be- 
haviour in  so  righteous  a  cause  is  the  offer,  A\hich  I  A^ath  sin- 
cerity make,  to  come  up  and  join  you  against  all  your  op- 
posers  ;  and  this  I  will  do  as  soon  as  you  inform  me  ray  pres- 
ence is  necessary."! 

It  was  doubtless  Tryon's  intention  from  the  first  to  com- 
mand personally  the  provincial  forces  if  a  resort  to  arms  be- 
came necessary.     Concerning  his  military  tastes,   Saunders 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VII.  pp.  713-716. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  p.  717. 


OF    NOETH    CAEOLINA. 


91 


observes:  "That  he  possessed  personal  courage,  is  doubtless 
true ;  and  that  he  was  well  versed  in  the  learning  of  his  profes- 
sion and  possessed  of  a  practical  knowledge  of  its  details,  no 
one  can  deny  who  has  studied  his  record.  Undoubtedly  he 
was  fond  of  the  pomps  ajid  vanities  of  life  generally;  biit, 
possibly,  he  was  never  quite  so  happy  as  when  riding  at  the 
head  of  a  column  of  gallant  men,  and  doubtless  the  feather  in 
his  hat  was  just  a  trifle,  at  least,  more  showy  than  the  feathers 
worn  by  men  of  equal  rank,  though,  perhaps,  not  of  equal  mili- 
tary ability.  But  Tryon,  when  in  aSTorth  Carolina,  at  least,  is 
considered  to  have  been  something  more  than  a  mere  soldier 
seeking  the  bubble  reputation  at  the  cannon's  mouth;  but, 
for  all  that,  he  was  always  a  soldier,  and  while  an  adept  in 
the  arts  of  diplomacy  whenever  it  pleased  him  to  employ  them, 
he  always  had  in  view  the  use  of  anned  troops  as  the  last 
resort."* 

Upon  being  called  together  (April  27,  1768)  for  consul- 
tation on  tlie  alarming  state  of  affairs  in  Orange  county,  the 
Council  of  the  province,  besides  advising  the  Governor  to  get 
the  militia  in  readiness  for  an  emergency,  also  recommended 
that  a  proclamation  be  issued  against  the  imlawful  assem- 
blages.f  This  proclamation  was  carried  to  the  Regulators' 
country  by  Captain  Isaac  Edwards,  Secretary  and  Aid-de- 
camp to  the  Governor. 

As  soon  as  the  plans  had  been  completed  to  arrest  the  ring- 
leaders of  the  Eegidators  and  thus  thwart  their  design  of  a 
second  armed  descent  on  Hillsborough  in  May,  1768,  Major 
Thomas  Lloyd,  one  of  the  magistrates  in   Orange  county, 

♦  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII.  Prefatory  Notes,  by  W.  L.  Saunders,  p.  XXXV. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  720-722. 


92  GOVEENOE    TEYON 

issued  a  wan-ant  for  Herraon  Husband,  the  chief  agitator  in 
the  movement.  With  a  small  force  of  armed  men,  Captain 
Thomas  Hart  rode  ont  of  Hillsborough  on  the  night  of  May 
1st,  and,  a  little  after  simrise  on  the  day  following,  served  the 
warrant  on  Husband,  whom  he  took  back  to  town  before  an 
alarm  could  be  given.  William  Butler  was  arrested  about 
the  same  time.  Knowing  that  Husband  could  not  be  se- 
CTirely  kept  where  his  faction  was  in  the  ascendant.  Justice 
Lloyd  made  out  papers  committing  him  to  the  jail  in  New 
Eern;  but,  by  many  good  promises,  before  he  was  taken 
there,  he  prevailed  on  the  authorities  to  admit  him  to  bail* 
Butler  was  also  released.  It  had  been  ordered  that  all  per- 
sons arrested  on  charges  of  riot  should  be  carried,  for  safe- 
keeping, either  to  ISTew  Bern  or  Wilmington. 

Next  to  Orange,  it  is  probable  that  Anson  coimty  was  the 
scene  of  more  trouble  than  any  other  place.  In  April,  1768, 
while  the  County  Court  was  being  held  there,  a  mob  as- 
sembled and  broke  up  proceedings.  In  a  letter  to  the  Gov- 
ernor, Colonel  Samuel  Spencer  gave  an  accoimt  of  the  trou- 
bles; and,  for  further  particulars,  refen-ed  His  Excellency 
to  William  Hooper,  who  was  one  of  the  law;}'ers  driven  out  of 
the  court-house,  and  by  whom  the  letter  was  carried. f  Upon 
receiving  the  news  from  Anson,  Tryon  issixed  a  proclama- 
tion (May  17,  1768)  commanding  the  rioters  to  desist  from 
their  lawlessness.  In  response  to  a  petition  from  the  people 
of  that  county,  he  also  promised  that  any  officer  who  had  been 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  pp.  742-743;  Husband's  narrative  in  Wheeler's 
History.  Part  U,  pp.  316-317. 

+  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VH,  pp.  722-728,  751,  806,  etseq.:  North  Carolina  Uni- 
versity Magazine,  August,  1855,  p.  252. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  93 

giiilty  of  dishonest  practices  should  be  held  to  accoimt  for 
the  same. 

Each  person  who  joined  the  Association  of  Regulators  in 
Ansou  was  required  to  subscribe  an  oath  declaring  that  if 
the  goods  of  any  fellow-member  were  seized  for  the  non-pay- 
ment of  taxes,  the  same  should  be  forcibly  recovered;  that 
if  any  Regulator  was  imprisoned,  he  should  be  rescued ;  and 
that  if  any  one  of  their  number  was  fined  or  otherwise  put  to 
expense  by  the  government,  his  loss  shoidd  be  shared  by  the 
entire  association. 

In  July,  1768,  Governor  Tryon  went  in  person  to  Hills- 
borough ^vith  a  view  of  pacifying  the  discofitented  element, 
but  his  endeavors  were  not  successful.  In  the  early  part  of 
Aiigust  he  received  notice  that  a  large  body  of  insurgents 
had  assembled  and  made  threats  that  they  would  come  in 
and  burn  the  town  if  their  demands  were  not  acceded  to. 
Immediately  tlie  militia  was  ordered  out;  and,  by  the  12tli 
of  August,  a  force  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  had  been 
raised  from  Orange  coimty,  but  the  Regidators  did  not  attack. 

Marching  through  Rowan  and  jMeckleubiu'g  counties  to 
gather  up  recruits,  Tryon  was  quite  successful  in  his  efforts. 
Colonel  Alexander  Osborne  commanded  the  Rowan  regiment 
and  the  regiment  from  Mecklenburg  was  imder  Colonel 
Robert  Hai-ris.  Another  Colonel  Robert  Harris,  in  the  same 
expedition,  commanded  the  regiment  from  Granville.*  As 
both  these  gentlemen  had  names  and  ranks  exactly  similar, 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  confuse  them. 

On  August  26th  a  grand  review  was  held  at  Salisbury,  when 

*  For  references  to  these  officers,  see  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  pp.  828,  832, 
888;  Ibid..  Vol.  Vm,  p.  698. 


94  GOVEENOE  TRYON 

both  Tryon  and  Colonel  Osborne  addressed  the  troops.*  The 
former  stated  that  a  Superior  Court,  to  try  those  concerned 
in  the  recent  disturbances,  had  been  ordered  to  convene 
at  Hillsborough,  and  an  amied  force  was  necessary  for 
its  iDroteetion.  He  also  explained  that  no  troops  would  be 
forced  into  this  service  by  draft,  but  only  volunteers  accepted. 
Then  he  dismounted;  and,  with  the  King's  colors  in  his 
hands,  called  for  those  companies  which  were  ready  to  serve. 
The  tirst  to  volunteer  was  a  company  under  Captain  Dob- 
bins, to  the  custody  of  which  Tryon  then  committed  the  colors 
as  a  compliment  to  its  zeal.  All  of  the  other  companies  then 
followed  in  succession  except  one  commanded  by  Captain 
Knox,  and  this  officer  was  so  disgiisted  at  the  action  of  his 
men  that  he  immediately  left  them  and  joined  the  volunteers 
alone.  The  company  here  mentioned,  however,  aftenvards 
sent  an  apology  to  the  Governor,  saying  that  a  misunderstand- 
ing, and  not  disaffection,  had  caused  its  action;  and  many 
came  back  as  volimteers.  "The  general  battalion  was  then 
dismissed,  and  the  Field  Officers,  Captains,  and  other  gentle- 
men waited  on  the  Governor  to  dinner,  where  the  health  of 
His  Majesty  and  the  Eoyal  family,  prosperity  to  the  prov- 
ince, and  success  to  the  Kowan  and  Mecklenburg  Volunteers 
were  drank.  Before  the  company  broke  up  the  Governor 
acquainted  Colonel  Osborne,  in  the  presence  of  Captain  Dob- 
bins and  the  rest  of  the  officers,  that  he  presented  His  Maj- 
esty's colours  to  the  Rowan  regiment  of  militia  as  an  honour- 
able testimony  of  the  loyalty  of  that  regiment  and  of  the 
spirit  tliey  testified  in  turning  out  as  volunteers  in  the  service 

•  For  journal  from  which  this  account  of  expedition  is  drawn,  sec  Colonial  Records  of 
N.  C.  Vol.  VII.  p.  819,  et  acq. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  95 

of  their  King  and  country.  And  that,  in  consideration  of 
Captain  Dobbins  and  his  company  first  joining  the  union 
colours,  His  Excellency  desired  and  requested  that  Captain 
Dobbins'  company  might  always  caiTy  into  and  bring  out  of 
the  field  the  King's  colours  and  that  the  Ensign  of  the  said 
company  should  always  can-y  those  colours  whenever  brought 
into  the'  field."  So  states  the  Governor's  military  journal. 
The  Captain  Dobbins  here  mentioned  appears  to  have  been 
that  Alexander  Dobbins  who  afterwards  served  with  Colonel 
Osborne  and  others  on  the  Committee  of  Safety  and  in  the 
State  militia  forces  of  Eowan  coimty  during  the  Revolution, 
when  most  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  section  were  pretty 
effectiially  weaned  from  the  "King's  colours." 

Leaving  the  Eowan  regiment  at  Salisbury,  Governor  Tiyon 
moved  forward  to  the  home  of  Major  Martin  Phifer,  where 
he  held  a  consultation  with  Colonel  Hai-ris  and  other  officers 
of  the  Mecklenburg  regiment.  He  then  arranged  with  them 
for  a  meeting  to  be  held  later  at  the  house  of  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Moses  Alexander. 

It  is  not  necessai-y  to  weary  the  reader  with  a  detailed 
account  of  the  march  of  the  Mecklenburg  and  Rowan  regi- 
ments back  to  Hillsborough.  They  arrived  there  on  the  19th 
of  September.  Two  days  later  they  were  joined  by  the 
Orange  and  Granville  regiments,  the  former  commanded  by 
Colonel  Edmimd  Fanning,  and  the  latter  by  one  of  the  Colo- 
nel Robert  Harrises  heretofore  mentioned. 

In  the  matter  of  commissioned  officers,  it  is  doubtful  if  so 
remarkable  a  military  make-up  as  Tryon's  army  ever  existed. 
In  numbers  the  whole  body  of  troops  would  not  exceed  a 
colonel's  command  in  the  present  regular  army  of  the  United 
States,  and  yet  John  Rutherford,  Lewis  Henry  DeRosset, 


96  GOVEKNOE    TBYON 

John  Sampson,  Benjamin  Heron,  Samuel  Strudwieik,  and 
Robert  Palmer  were  all  made  Lieutenant-Generals,  while 
Thomas  Llojd  and  John  Ashe  became  Major-Generals. 

Among  the  Colonels  were:  James  Moore  (artillery),  Alex- 
ander Osborne,  Edmund  Fanning,  Robert  Harris  of  Meck- 
lenburg, Robert  Harris  of  Gramalle,  James  Sampson,  Samuel 
Spencer,  and  Maurice  Moore. 

Lieutenant-Colonels:  Robert  Schaw  (artillery),  John  Fro- 
hock,  Alexander  Lillington,  John  Gray,  and  Samuel  Benton. 

Majors:  Abner  ISTash,  Robert  Howe,  William  Bullock, 
Martin  Phifer,  John  Hinton*  and  Walter  Lindsay. 

Aids-de-eamp :  Isaac  Edwards  and  Jvlm  Abraham  Collet. 

Quartermasters:  Lewis  Coffer  for  Rowan  regiment  and 
William  Bedford  for  Mecklenburg  regiment. 

Conunissaries :  Thomas  Hart  for  Orange  and  Granville 
regiments,  Hugh  Montgomery  for  Rowan  regiment,  and 
Moses  Alexander  for  Mecklenburg  regiment. 

Captain  of  Artillery:  Samuel  Swann,  jimior. 

Surgeon-General:  Anthony  Newman. 

Surgeon  for  Mecklenburg  regiment:  Dominicus  Hawk. 

Besides  these  there  were  many  other  officers,  the  records  of 
whose  services  are  unfortunately  lost. 

Seeing  the  Superior  Court  hedged  about  by  the  pro- 
vincial troops,  the  Regulators  made  no  attempt  to  internipt 
its  proceedings  when  it  convened  in  Septemljcr,  first  at  Salis- 
bury and  then  at  Hillsborough.  Of  the  trilnmal  just  men- 
tioned Martin  Howard  was  Chief  Justice,  while  Maurice 
Moore  and  Richard  Henderson  were  Associate  Justices. 

"Major  (afterwards  Colonel)  Hinton  then  commanded  Johnston  county  troops.  When 
Wake  was  cut  off  from  Johnston  he  lived  in  Wake.  For  an  interesting  account  of  his 
life,  by  Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton,  see  South  Atlantic  Quarterly  (Durham.  N.  C).  Vol. 
I,  p.  182.  April,  1902. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA. 


97 


During  the  progress  of  the  court  at  Hillslwrough,  William 
Butler,  Samuel  Devinney,  and  John  Philip  Hartzo  were  con- 
victed of  rioting  and  attempts  to  rescue  distrained  property 
from  the  Sheriff.  Upon  the  first  named  defendant  was  im- 
posed a  fine  of  fifty  pounds  and  a  sentence  to  six  months'  im- 
prisonment, and  the  otlier  two  were  each  fined  twenty-five 
pounds  and  given  a  three  months'  sentence.  But,  as  at  that 
time  the  trouble  seemed  to  be  ended,  the  Governor  by  a  pardon 
caused  their  release  from  prison  and  susi^ended  the  payment 
of  the  fines  for  six  months.  A  full  general  pardon  was  after- 
wards proclaimetl,  and  tlms  the  fines  were  remitted.  Con- 
cerning these  prosecutions,  Go\'enior  Tryon,  in  one  of  his 
letters,  observes:  "To  say  that  tliese  insurgents  had  not  a 
colour  for  their  shewing  a  dissatisfaction  at  the  conduct  of 
their  public  officei-s  Avould  be  doing  them  an  injustice;  for, 
on  a  pi-osecution  at  the  Superior  Court,  carried  on  by  the 
Attorney-General  in  the  virtue  of  my  directions,  b<)th  the 
Register  and  Clerk  of  the  county  were  foimd  gaiilty  of  taking 
too  high  fees.  It  manifestly  appearing  that  Colonel  Fan- 
ning, the  Register,  had  acted  with  the  utmost  candour  to  the 
people,  and  that  his  conduct  proceeded  from  a  misconstruction 
of  the  fee-bill,  he  was  in  court  honorably  acquitted  of  the 
least  intentional  abvise  in  office.  Colonel  Faiming,  however, 
immediately  after  the  above  verdict,  resigned  up  to  me  his 
commission  as  Register."* 

Quite  a  number  of  Regulators  were  indicted  at  the  above 
court,  though  only  Butler,  Ue%amrey  and  Hartzo  were  tried. 
The  other  cases  were  continued. 

Tlie  insurgents  having  all  submitted  or  dispersed,  Tryon 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VU,  pp.  SS4-S85. 


98  GOVEKNOE  TETON 

naturally  tliouglit  that  resistance  was  at  an  end  and  disl>andcd 
his  troops  on  the  2d  of  Octohor ;  hnt,  as  will  he  seen  in  the 
next  chapt-er,  the  real  troiihle  was  just  beginning. 

In  his  farewell  order  the  Governor  said :  "His  Excellency 
returns  both  the  officers  and  men  of  the  anny  his  gTateful 
and  unfeigned  thanks  for  the  patient  and  persevering  con- 
duct with  which  they  have  supported  the  govenuuent,  their 
own  honour,  and  the  credit  of  the  administration,  as  by  their 
spirited  behaviour  they  have  greatly  contributed  to  the  dis- 
persing of  the  rioters  and  in  bringing  tliem  to  a  siibmission 
to  govermuent  and  a  sense  of  their  error.  These  measures 
being  hap])ily  effected,  it  is  His  Excellency's  pleasure  that 
Colonel  Osborne  cari-y  a  proclamation  of  pardon,  with  a  few 
exceptions,  for  the  insurgents,  which  Colonel  Osborne  will 
read  at  the  head  of  the  brigade  at  Salisbui-y,  and  aftenvards 
affix  it  up  at  the  court-house  door." 

Colonel  Alexander  Osborne,  whose  military  services  have 
been  frequently  referred  to  in  this  chapter,  came  to  North 
Carolina  about  1755  from  New  Jei-sey,  where  he  was  Ixirn 
in  1709.  He  died  July  11,  1770,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
War  for  Independence ;  and,  in  him,  the  cause  of  the  colonies 
lost  an  able  supporter,  whose  sei-vices  to  the  ^Vllig  govern- 
ment had  already  been  of  value.*  The  family  to  which  he 
belonged  is  said  to  be  descended  from  the  Dukes  of  Leeds, 
whose  surname  is  Oslx)rno.f  Colonel  Alexander  Osborne  was 
the  father  of  Colonel  Adlai  Osborne,  a  useful  Revolutii)nary 
patriot,  and  from  him  also  spring-s  the  Osborne  family  (now 
chiefly  resident  in  Mecklenburg  county)  which  has  so  ]U'onii- 

"  Sketches  of  Western  North'Carolina.  by  C.  L.  Hunter,  p.  186. 
t  See  Memoir  of  General  Josepli  Gardner  Swift,  p.  03. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  99 

iiently  figured  in  the  leij,'al,  political  and  military  annals  of 
North  Carolina. 

As  mnch  will  be  said  of  the  colonial  judiciary  later  on  in 
this  work,  a  few  words  concerning  the  personnel  of  the  Conrt 
may  not  be  out  of  place.  Of  the  Chief  Justice,  Martin  How- 
ard, mention  has  already  been  made,  which  renders  it  unneces- 
saiy  to  speak  of  him  further.  The  Associate  Justices  were 
Maurice  Moore  and  Eichard  Henderson,  who  received  their 
appointments  at  the  same  time,  March  1,  1708."'^ 

Judge  Moore  had  also  filled  the  above  position  once  before, 
but  was  turned  out  of  oflice  on  account  of  his  resistance  to  the 
Stamp  Act.  Of  him,  at  the  time  of  his  second  appointment, 
Tryon  says:  "This  gentleman  I  suspended  during-  the  late 
distractions  in  the  colonies.  His  proper  conduct  and  be- 
haviour since  tliat  period,  and  the  British  Act  of  Grace  siib- 
sequent  to  those  troiibles,  induced  me,  with  the  approbation 
of  the  Council,  to  reinstate  Mr.  Moore  in  oflice."  Some  his- 
torians declare  that  JMoore  sympathized  with  the  Regulation 
movement;  but,  when  this  riuuor  was  afloat  during  his  life- 
time, he  said:  "I  have  been  cahunniated  before  now,  but 
never  so  capitally  as  in  this  case."  And,  in  a  military  capac- 
ity, he  marched  a.gainst  them.  The  Moore  family,  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  had  been  prominent  in  the  Cape  Fear 
country  since  the  days  of  Governor  Burrington ;  and,  prior  to 
that  time,  was  of  great  power  in  South  Carolina,  where  sev- 
eral of  the  name  had  filled  the  office  of  Governor.  As  at  the 
time  of  the  Stamp  Act,  so  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  IMau- 
rice  Moore's  great  influence  went  with  the  colonies,  and  there 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VII,  pp.  6S1,  6D7. 


100 


GOVEENOE  TETON 


is  further  abiuidnnt  reason  for  Ivclieviiio-  that  he  ever  had  the 
good  of  iSToi-th  Carolina  at  heart.     Pnit  that  strong  prejudices 
were  among  other  strong  points  in  his  make-up  we  are  also 
convinced,  for  the  famous  "Atticus"  letter,  in  view  of  his 
own  connection  with  a  few  of  the  mattei-s  treated  therein, 
speaks  more  for  his  ability  as  a  writer  than  for  his  consist- 
ency.    He  was  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Provincial 
Congress  at  Halifax,  in  November,  1776,  and  died  on  the 
15th  of  Januai-y,   1777.*     One  of  his  sons  was  Associate 
Justice  Alfred  Moore  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court. 
Jvidge  Richai-d  Henderson  was  one  of  those  striking  figures 
in  OTu*  colonial  history,  in  whose  character  the  attributes  of 
pioneer   and   statesman  Avere  jointly  predominant.     He   is 
now  chiefly  remembered  for  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to  set  up 
a  new  commonwealth  in  the  present  l>cautiful  regidu  which 
was  then,  in  fact,  a  "dark  ajid  bloody  gi-ound."     He  was  lx)rn 
in  Hanover  coimty,  Vii-g-inia,  on  the  20th  of  April,  1735  ;  and, 
when  a  boy,  not  over  ten  years  old,  was  brought  by  his  father 
to  Granville  county.  North  Carolina.     His  first  legal  service, 
of  a  public  nature,  was  as  King's  Deputy  Attorney.     When 
later  apjDointed  Judge,  in  1768,  he  is  referred  to  by  Governor 
Tryon  as  "a  gentleman  of  candour  and  ability,  boni  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  about  thirty-three  years  of  age."     In  addition  to 
his  civil  positions,  he  also  held,  prior  to  the  Eevolution,  a 
commission  as  colonel  of  militia  under  the  Crown.     When  the 
War  for  Independence  came  on  he  cast  his  lot  with  the  Ameri- 
can cause.    On  September  25,  1775,  lie  was  elected  President 
of  the  whihim  "Colony  of  Transylvania" — (a  part  of  the  prcs- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X,  p.  913;  see  also,  address  by  Junius  Davis  in  N.  C. 
Supreme  Court  Reports.  Vol.  121.  p.  8S4. 


OF    NORTH    CAKOLINA.  101 

cnt  States  of  Keiituckv  and  Tennessee) — which  colony  aided 
in  sustaining  the  niensnres  of  the  Continental  Congress;  in 
1778  and  again  in  1782  he  was  a  member  of  the  j^ortli  Caro- 
lina Coimcil  of  State ;  on  August  14,  1778,  he  was  elected  a 
Judge  of  the  SuiDcrior  Courts  of  Xorth  Carolina,  but  declined 
the  office  ;  was  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  to  settle  the 
boundary  between  Virginia  and  K'orth  Carolina  in  1779  ;  rep- 
resented Granville  county  in  the  House  of  Commons  at  the  ses- 
sion of  1781,  and  perhaps  served  the  State  in  other  capacities.* 
He  died  January  30,  1785.  Among  his  children  were  Chief 
Justice  I^eonard  Henderson  and  the  eminent  attorney,  Archi- 
bald Henderson,  whom  Judge  llurphey  describes  as  "the 
most  perfect  model  of  a  lawyer  that  the  bar  of  jSTorth  Caro- 
lina has  produced."  Many  talented  representatives  of  this 
family  now  living  have  also  added  honors  to  the  name.  Of 
Judge  Richai'd  Henderson's  experiences  with  the  Regulators 
later  mention  will  be  made. 

During  the  encampment  of  the  colonial  troops  at  Hills- 
borough (September  25,  1768)  they  were  addressed  in  a  ser- 
mon by  the  Reverend  George  Micklejohn,  S.  T.  D.,  who  dis- 
coursed on  the  duty  of  submission  to  the  established  jwwers.f 
A  few  years  later  the  pai-son  still  held  to  these  principles,  and 
retained  his  loyalty  during  the  war  -with  Great  Britain — "a 
High  Churchman  in  religion  and  a  High  Tory  in  politics," 


•Colonial  Eecoi-ds  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X,  pp.  256,  et  sea..  373,  et  seQ..  3S2.  et  seg.:  State  Records 
of  N.  C.  Vol.  XU,  pp.  7£6,  £51;  Ibid..  Vol.  XIV,  p.  353.  et  scq.;  Ibid..  Vol.  XVI,  p.  95;  Ram- 
sey's Annals  of  Tennessee,  pp.  117-119;  Ch.  XVI  of  the  Public  Laws  of  N.  C.  for  1779: 
article  on  Henderson  family  in  Wake  Forest  Student  for  1899,  p.  1,  by  Dr.  T.  B.  Kings- 
bury. For  account  of  the  E-ovemment  of  Transylvania  colony,  see  Kentucky  publication 
by  Georffe  W.  Ranck.  entitled  "Boonesboro,"  issued  by  Filson  Club. 

i-Tiiis  sermon  was  afterwards  printed  by  order  of  the  Assembly.  For  title,  etc.,  see 
North  Carolina  University  Magazine,  August,  1855,  pp.  250-251,  7iote. 


102  GOVEENOE    TETON 

one  Yi-ritcr  has  called  him.  After  the  war  he  removed  to 
Virginia.  When  he  died  he  was  more  than  a  hundred  ^-ears 
old.  Bishop  Meade,  in  his  work  on  Old  C]iurches  and  Fami- 
lies of  Virginia,*  states  that  Pai-son  Micklejohn  had  taught 
school  prior  to  the  Revolution ;  and,  after  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties, was  solicited  hy  some  gentlemen  to  resmne  his  occupa- 
tion, but  he  refused,  saying  that  he  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  their  little  American  democrats,  for  it  was  hard  enough 
to  manage  them  l>efore  the  Revolution,  and  now  it  would  be 
impossible. 

On  Sunday,  the  12th  of  May,  1771,  during  Tryon's  second 
campaign  against  the  Regiilators,  his  troops  were  favored 
with  a  sermon  which  even  exceeded  that  of  Parson  Micklejohn 
in  war-like  spirit.f  This  was  delivered  by  the  Reverend 
James  Macartney,  who  chose  as  his  text  a  selection  from  the 
thirty-sixth  verse  of  the  twenty-second  chapter  of  St.  Luke, 
"He  that  hath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  garment  and  buy 
one." 

Besides  other  infonuation  contained  in  the  biogTaphy  by 
Caruthers  we  are  also  indebted  to  that  author  for  some  poeti- 
cal effusions  of  the  period  embracing  the  War  of  the  Regula- 
tion. These  are  from  the  ix}n  of  Rednap  Howell,  who  is 
called  the  Poet  Laureate  of  the  Regulators,  and  arc  mostly 
directed  at  Edmund  Fanning,  who — though  a  college-bred 
man  and  the  son  of  wealthy  parents — is  represented  as  a  weary 
pauper  when  first  wending  his  way  into  Xorth  Carolina : 

*  Old  Churches  and  FamiHes  of  Virginia,  Vol.  I,  p.  488, 
t  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  840, 


OF    NORTU    CAROLINA.  103 

"When  Fanning  first  to  Orange  came, 
He  locked  both  pale  and  wan; 
An  old  jjatched  coat  was  on  his  back, 
An  old  mare  he  rode  on. 

"Both  man  and  mare  wan't  worth  five  pounds, 
As  I've  been  often  told; 
But,  by  his  civil  robberies, 

He's  laced  his  coat  with  gold." 

Two  more  verses  represent  a  dialog'ue  bet^veen  the  partners 
in  iniquity,  and  run  as  follows: 

"Says  Frohock  to  Fanning:  'To  tell  the  plain  truth, 
When  I  came  to  this  country  I  was  but  a  youth; 
My  father  sent  for  me:  I  wan't  worth  a  cross, 
And  then  my  first  study  was  stealing  a  horse; 
I  quickly  got  credit,  and  then  ran  away, 
And  haven't  paid  for  him  to  this  very  day.' 

"Says  Fanning  to  Frohock:  "Tis  folly  to  lie, 
I  rode  an  old  mare  that  was  blind  of  an  eye; 
Five  shillings  in  money  I  had  in  my  purse. 
My  coat  it  was  patched,  but  not  much  the  v.'orse; 
Cut  now  we've  got  rich,  and  it's  very  well  known 
That  we'll  do  very  well  if  they'll  let  us  alone.'  " 

Howell  was  a  school-teacher  by  profession  and  a  brother 
of  Governor  Eichard  Howell  of  ISTew  Jersey.  A  grand- 
daughter of  Governor  Howell  mamed  JefFerson  Davis.  Eed- 
nap  Howell  w^as  never  pardoned  for  his  participation  in  the 
Insurrection  of  the  Eegulators — his  name  being  specifically 
excepted  from  all  "acts  of  grace" — and  what  became  of  him 
is  not  knowni.     \yiien  la.st  heard  of  he  v.as  in  Virginia. 


104  GOVERNOR  TEYON 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FURTHER  VIOLENCE  OF  THE  REGULATORS— OUTRAGES  CON- 
TINUE AT  HILLSBOROUGH— HOUSE-BURNING  IN  GRANVILLE 
COUNTY— HUSBAND  EXPELLED  FROM  ASSEMBLY  AND  IM- 
PRISONED—LEGISLATIVE MEASURES  AGAINST  THE  INSUR- 
GKNTS— TRYONS  SECOND  MILITARY  CAMPAIGN— PATRI- 
OTIC NORTH  CAROLINIANS  IN  HIS  ARMY— PARTIAL  LIST  OF 
OFFICERS— GENERAL  WADDELL"S  FORCE  INTERCEPTED— 
INSURGENTS  ROUTED  AT  BATTLE  OF  ALAMANCE— SOME  OF 
THE  KILLED  AND  WOUNDED— FLIGHT  OF  HUSBAND  BE- 
FORE THE  BATTLE  BEGINS. 

As  heretofore  observed,  Tryon  issued  a  pardon  to  all  con- 
cerned in  the  disturbances  of  1768  and  times  previous  thereto, 
with  a  fc.v  exceptions,  and  ordered  his  proclamation  to  he 
made  public  by  Colonel  Osborne.  At  a  later  period,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1769,  another  proclamation  of  pardon  was  issued, 
which  included  each  and  every  offender,  with  no  exceptions 
whatever.*  This  rendered  things  more  quiet  foV  some 
months,  but  the  real  trouble  was  yet  to  begin. 

On  September  24,  1770,  while  Judge  Eichard  Ilendei'son 
was  holding  court  at  Hillsborough,  the  Regulators  (including 
Ilernion  Husband,  Robinson  York,  William  Butler,  Rednap 
Howell,  Jeremiah  Field,  James  Hunter,  Samuel  Devinney, 
and  others)  broke  into  the  court-room,  attempted  to  strike 
him  while  on  the  bencli,  and  beat  Jnhn  Williauis,  afterwards 
a  highly  respected  Judge.  William  Hooper,  one  of  the 
greatest  and  best  men  of  whom  the  annals  of  North  Caro- 
lina can  boast,  they  "dragged  and  ])araded  through  the  streets, 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI,  p.  67. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  105 

and  treated  with  eveiy  mark  of  contempt  and  insult."  James 
Iredell  (afterwards  a  Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court)  was  auotlier  la\\'j'er  attending  this  session  of  Orange 
Court,  but  the  "parcel  of  banditti,"  as  he  called  the  Regula- 
tors, failed  to  get  their  clutches  on  him,  as  he  had  gone  to 
visit  a  friend  in  the  country.  Edmund  Fanning,  whom  the 
Regulators  considered  the  chief  aiithor  of  their  troubles, 
was  dragged  by  his  heels  out  of  the  court-room  over  rough 
cobblestones,  suffered  a  severe  injury  to  one  of  his  eyes,  and 
v\ould  probably  have  been  murdered  had  he  not  broken  loose 
from  the  mob  and  taken  refuge  in  a  near-by  house.  The 
Regulators  next  turned  their  attention  to  Fanning's  residence, 
vdiich  Avas  torn  to  jDieces  by  them,  after  which  they  whipped 
Alexander  jMartin  (at  a  later  time  Governor),  Captain  Mi- 
chael Holt,  Captain  Thomas  Hart,  and  other  prominent  citi- 
zens— while  Francis  If  ash  (afterwards  a  Brigadier-General  in 
the  Continental  Army  and  mortally  wounded  at  Germantown), 
Tyree  Harris,  High  Sheriff  of  Orange,  and  many  otliers  had 
to  take  to  the  woods  in  order  to  escape  like  treatment.  Later 
the  rioters  swarmed  through  the  streets  of  Hillsborough  and 
anuised  themselves  by  breaking  the  windows  of  residences. 
Finding  himself  powerless  to  enforce  authority.  Judge  Hen- 
derson ordered  an  adjournment  of  court  and  fled  by  night 
from  the  t0A\Ti.  Next  day  the  Regiilatoi-s  again  came  into 
the  court-house;  and,  after  setting  up  a  mock  judge,  got  pos- 
session of  the  docket,  in  which  they  made  many  entries,  teem- 
ing with  billingsgate  and  profanity.  One  contemporaneous 
newspaper  account  says  they  even  took  dowii  the  decomposed 
corpse  of  a  negro  who  had  been  hanged  in  chains  and  placed 
it  in  the  seat  which  Henderson  had  vacated.     A  few  months 


106  GOVERNOR  TRTON  . 

later  the  dwelling  and  out-lioiiscs  of  Judge  Henderson,  in 
Granville  county,  were  destroyed  by  the  toi'cli  of  incendiaries 
who  belonged  to  the  Kegidating  element.* 

As  Chief  Justice  Howard  was  not  in  the  colony  when  the 
outrages  at  Hillsborough  occurred  (September,  1770), f  he 
could  not  have  been  "driven  from  the  bench,"  as  stated  in 
the  Defence  of  North  Carolina,  by  Jo.  Seawell  Jones.  The 
same  work  says:  "The  rioters  respected  the  character  of 
Judge  Moore."  If  calling  this  distinguished  jjcrsonage  a 
rascal,  rogue,  villain,  and  a  scoundrel,  and  threatening  to 
flog  or  kill  him  if  he  came  to  hold  court  at  Salisbury,:}:  was 
the  way  in  which  these  worthies  showed  their  "respect,"  then 
Judge  Moore  did  hold  their  respect  to  a  most  remarkable  de- 
gi-ee !  But,  serioTisly  six-aking,  it  would  seem  that  the  Kegu- 
lators  were  really  far  less  bitter  against  Chief  Justice  Howard 
than  they  were  against  Associate  Justices  Moore  and  Hen- 
derson ;  for,  when  informed  that,  owing  to  the  riots,  no  court 
would  be  hold  at  Salisbury,  "tliey  said  there  would  have  been 
no  danger  for  the  Chief  Justice  to  have  held  a  co\irt ;  but,  as 
to  the  Associate  Justices,  they  were  silent."§ 

The  old  Assembly  having  l>een  dissolved  by  Governor 
Tryon,  a  new  one  met  in  ac^'ordance  with  his  smmuons  at 
New  Bern  on  the  23d  of  October,  1770.1[     In  this  body,  as 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C  Vol.  VIU.  pp.  235-260.  202;  see  also,  quotation  from  New 
York  Gazette  in  Annual  Register  (London)  for  1770,  p.  231;  Life  and  Correspondence  of 
James  Iredell.  Vol.  I,  pp.  80.  379. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIU.  p.  218. 

{Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  pp.  519-520. 

§  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VHI.  p.  hii. 

II  In  the  beginninrj  of  House  Journal  1769  is  erroneously  given  as  year  of  meeting  ;  but 
in  the  general  proceedings  the  date  is  given  1770,  as  it  should  be.  Sec  Coloni.il  Records 
of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII,  p.  303.  ct  suq. 


OF    NOKTII    CAROLINA.  107 

oue  of  the  representatives  from  Orange  county,  ajipeared 
Hennon  Husband,  a  chief  of  the  EeguLators.  During  the 
progress  of  the  session,  on  the  20th  of  December,*  Mr.  Hus- 
band was  brought  before  the  House  (sitting  as  a  Committee 
of  the  Whole,  mth  Colonel  John  Campbell  of  Bertie  as  chair- 
man), charged  with  simdiy  misdemeanors,  and  expelled  in 
accordance  with  the  following  resolutions : 

Eesolvcd,  That  it  appears  to  this  committee  that  Herman  Husband,  a 
member  of  the  committee,  is  one  of  the  people  who  denominate  them- 
selves Regulators,  and  that  he  hath  been  a  principal  mover  and  promoter 
of  the  late  riots  and  seditions  in  the  county  of  Orange,  and  other  parts 
of  the  province. 

Resolved,  That  it  appears  to  this  committee  that  a  letter  published  in 
the  North  Carolina  Gazette  of  the  14th  of  December,  directed  to  the 
Honorable  Maurice  Jloore,  Esquire,  at  New  Bern,  and  signed  by  James 
Hunter,  is  a  false,  seditious,  and  malicious  libel. 

Resolved,  That  it  appears  to  this  committee  that  the  above  named  Her- 
man Husband  was  the  publisher  of  the  said  libel. 

Resolved,  That  it  appears  to  this  committee  that  the  said  Herman 
Husband  was  guilty  of  gross  prevarication  and  falsehood  in  his  examina- 
tion before  the  committee  of  propositions  and  grievances  relative  to  the 
said  libel. 

Resolved,  That  it  appears  to  this  committee  that  the  said  Herman  Hus- 
band hath  insinuated  in  conversation  that  in  case  he  should  be  confined, 
by  order  of  the  House,  he  expected  down  a  number  of  people  to  release 
him. 

Resolved,  That  it  is  opinion  of  this  committee  that  such  an  insinua- 
tion is  a  daring  insult  offered  to  this  House,  and  tending  to  intimidate 
the  members  from  a  due  discharge  of  their  duty. 

After  passing  the  above,  further  proceedings  were  had,  as 
follows : 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI,  pp.  330-331. 


108  GOVERNOR    TRYOX 

Resolved,  Tliat  the  conduct  of  the  said  Herman  Husband,  botli  as  a 
member  of  this  House  in  particular,  and  of  the  community  in  general, 
has  justly  incurred  the  contempt  of  this  House  and  rendered  him  un- 
worthy of  a  seat  in  the  Assembly. 

Resolved,  That  the  said  Herman  Husband  be  immediately  expelled 
from  this  House. 

Ordered,  That  the  said  Herman  Husband  appear  at  the  Bar  of  the 
House,  and  that  Mr.  Speaker  pronounce  the  said  sentence — 

Whereupon,  the  said  Herman  Husband  appeared  at  the  Bar  of  the 
House,  and  Mr.  Speaker  pronounced  the  said  sentence  accordingly. 

After  his  expulsion  from  the  Assembly,  Mr.  Husband  pre- 
pared to  return  to  his  followers,  when  the  Council  advised 
Tryon  that  if  this  were  allowed  it  might  further  endanger 
the  peace  of  the  province.  Thereupon  a  bench-warrant  was 
issued  by  Chief  Justice  Howard  for  the  apprehension  of  Hus- 
band, and  he  was  accordingly  committed  to  the  jail  in  New 
Bern.*  As  no  evidence  was  then  accessible  to  establish  the 
charge  of  rioting,  the  prisoner  was  charged  in  the  warrant 
with  the  libel  on  Maurice  Moore. 

As  may  be  supjx)sed,  the  Regulators  were  highly  Incensed 
at  the  arrest  of  their  representative,  and  at  once  gave  ojjcn 
threats  that  they  would  go  down  in  a  body  and  forcibly  effect 
his  release.  This  caused  some  conccni  for  the  safety  of  New 
Bern,  and  troops  were  ordered  to  be  in  readiness  to  repel  the 
anticipated  attack.  That  a  movement  on  New  Bern  was 
meditated,  there  is  little  doubt.  Emissaries  were  dispatched 
by  the  Regidators  to  different  parts  of  the  province  to  stir 
up  further  discontent  and  raise  re-inforcemcnts.  Nor  was 
the  government  idle;  for  there  was  a  chain  of  well  affected 
counties  through  which  the  insurgents  must  pass.     In  these 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C  Vol.  VUI.  pp.  494.  54G,  et  seq. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  109 

Colonel  John  Ilinton  of  Wake,  C-olonel  ISTeedbam  Brjan  of 
Jolmston,  Colonel  Eichard  Caswell  of  Dobbs,  and  possibly 
other  officers,  were  all  prepared  with  their  regiments  to  inter- 
cept the  march  of  the  Regulators.*  But,  on  February  8, 
1771,  while  preparations  on  lx)th  sides  were  progressing, 
Husband  was  released  from  jail,  the  grand  jui-y  having 
failed  to  find  a  true  bill.  The  profxised  movement  on  ISTew 
Bern  was  thereupon  abandoned.  But  the  discontented  ele- 
ment in  Orange  county  grew  no  more  orderly.  Proclamation 
after  proclamation  was  issued  by  the  Governor — having  about 
as  much  effect  as  sennons  would  have  on  mud-turtles,  and 
matters  went  from  bad  to  woi-se  each  day.  First  had  come 
a  letter  from  Judge  Moore,  saying  that  the  designs  of  the 
insurgents  went  further  than  to  promote  inquiry  into  the  con- 
duct of  civil  officers,  and  that  no  legal  process  of  any  kind 
could  be  served  among  them.f  Then  the  complaint  from 
Judge  Henderson  was  received,  telling  of  the  indignities 
offered  him  at  Hillslwrough,  and  soon  followed  the  news  that 
he  had  been  birmed  out  of  house  and  home.  In  February, 
1771,  a  court  having  been  ordered  to  sit  at  Hillsborough,:!^ 
the  following  remonstrance  from  the  Chief  Justice  and  his 
associates  was  laid  before  the  Governor : 

Sir, 

Your  Excellency  having  signified  to  us  your  opinion  that  it  is  expe- 
dient that  the  Chief  Justice,  Associate  Justices,  and  Attorney-General 
should  attend  the  ensuing  Superior  Court  at  Hillsborough,  we  do  ac- 
quaint Your  Excellency  that  we  have  conferred  together  upon  the  subject, 
and,  considering  the  violences  committed  there  at  the  last  Court,  and  be- 
ing well  informed  that  the  disturbances  and  the  distractions  in  that  dis- 

•Colonial  Records  ot  N.  C,  Vol.  VHI,  pp.  500-501. 
tColonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIU,  p.  192. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI,  p.  538. 


110  GOVERNOE    TIIYON 

tiict  are  rather  increasing  than  declining,  we  submit  it  to  Your  Ex- 
cellency as  our  opinion  that  we  cannot  attend  that  Court  with  any  hopes 
of  transacting  the  business  of  it;  or,  indeed,  with  any  prospect  of  per- 
sonal safety  to  ourselves. 

M.  HOWARD,  C.  ./., 

M.  MOORE, 

R.  HENDERSON. 
JIarch  18th,  1771,  New  Bera. 

Of  the  continited  excesses  indnlgcJ  in  by  the  Regulators, 
Williamson,  in  his  History  of  Nortli  Carolina*  says:  ''Their 
demands  and  their  violence  increased  at  every  meeting. 
Their  success  produced  no  reformation.  They  broke  and 
trampled  under  foot  all  the  bonds  of  civilized  society,  and 
gave  reins  to  every  disordered  passion ;  for  vice  itself,  by 
repeated  acts  of  violence,  had  changed  its  name  and  color. 
They  prevented  the  Superior  Court  from  sitting  in  Hills- 
borough, insulted  the  Judges,  and  maltreated  the  inhabitants. 
K^ot  satisfied  with  abusing  Judge  Henderson  at  court,  they 
burnt  his  stables  and  com  on  the  twelfth  of  November,  and 
they  biirnt  his  dwelling-house  on  the  fourteenth.  It  was  no 
longer  a  question  whether  clerks,  registers  or  law;^'ers  should 
be  permitted  to  receive  more  than  legal  fees,  and  sheriffs  be 
compelled  to  accotmt  for  all  the  taxes  they  had  collected.  It 
was  now  to  be  determined  whether  civil  government  should 
prevail,  or  every  man's  property  be  exposed,  without  redress, 
to  the  avarice  or  resentment  of  a  lawless  mob." 

Affaii-s  had  finally  reached  that  ™iint  wliere  it  would  have 
been  not  only  unjustifiable,  but  criminal,  in  Governor  Tryon 
longer  to  submit  to  the  i)revailing  anarchy,  and  this  ho  now 
realized.     Under  similar  circumstances  at  the  present  time 

•History  of  North  Carolina.  Vol.  H,  p.  138. 


OF    NOETJI    CAEOLIXA.  Ill 

no  mob  would  be  allowed  to  indidge  in  such  excesses  for  half 
so  long  a  period.  In  a  message  to  the  Council  and  Assembly, 
on  the  5th  of  December,  1770,  Tryon  set  forth  at  some  length 
the  distracted  state  of  affairs  and  asked  that  provision  be 
made  for  raising  and  arming  a  sufficient  body  of  troops  with 
which  to  march  into  the  country  of  the  insurgents  and 
put  an  end  to  their  lawlessness.  The  Council  pledged  its 
co-operation;  and  the  lower  house,  if  anything,  seemed 
even  more  anxious  to  adopt  measures  for  the  suppression 
of  the  disturbances.*  The  latter  (sitting  as  a  Committee 
of  the  Whole,  with  Colonel  William  Hay^vood  of  Edge- 
combe as  chaii-man)  took  the  Governor's  speech  into  con- 
sideration and  reported  its  conclusions;  thereupon,  another 
conmiitte«  was  appointed  to  draw  up  a  reply.  The  latter 
committee  (composed  of  Maurice  Moore,  chairman,  Joseph 
Hewes,  Robert  Howe,  Edmimd  Fanning,  Samuel  Johnston, 
Abner  N"ash,  and  Cornelius  Harnett) ,  on  December  10th,  sub- 
mitted its  report,  which  was  duly  adopted.  Therein  it  was 
said :  "The  late  daring  and  insolent  attack  made  on  the  Supe- 
rior Court  at  Hillsborough,  by  the  people  who  call  themselves 
Regulators,  we  hold  in  the  utmost  detestation  and  abhorrence. 
The  deliberate  and  preconceived  malice  with  which  it  Vi'as 
contrived,  and  the  biiital  fury  Avitli  which  it  was  executed, 
equally  bespeak  them  unawed  by  the  laws  of  their  coraitry, 
insensible  to  every  moral  duty,  and  wickedly  disaffected  to 
govei-nment  itself.  The  dissolute  principles  and  licentious 
spirit  by  which  these  people  are  actuated  and  stand  united, 
render  them  too  formidable  for  the  ordinary  process  of  law. 
Sensible  of  this,  sir,  we  owe  it  to  our  sovereign,  our  constitu- 

*  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI,  pp.  2S4,  239.  306.  312. 


112  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

ents,  and  ourselves,  to  adoj^t  measures  at  once  spirited  and 
decisive."  And  sncli  measures  (contained  in  a  bill  introduced 
by  Samuel  Johnston  of  Chowan,  aftenvarda  Governor)  were 
adopted  alx>ut  a  month  later,  on  Januiy  15,  1771.*  It  is 
doubtful  if  so  drastic  a  measure  as  this  ever  passed  an  Ameri- 
can Assembly.  Among  other  things,  it  provided  that  if  any 
persons,  to  the  number  of  ten  or  more,  should  unlawfully,  riot- 
ously, and  tumultuously  assemble  together  after  the  first  day 
of  the  succeeding  February,  and  should  refuse  to  disjierse  on 
the  command  of  one  or  more  magistrates  or  of  the  Sheriff,  the 
offenders  shoidd,  on  due  conviction  by  a  jurj',  be  adjudged 
felons  and  suifer  death  without  benefit  of  the  clergy;  that  it 
should  be  the  duty  of  any  sheriff  to  smnnion  a  j^osse  to  seize 
the  persons  of  rioters  so  assembled,  and,  if  any  rioter  should 
be  killed  in  resisting  arrest,  the  person  killing  him  should 
not  be  held  answerable  to  the  law  for  such  act ;  that  if,  when 
the  courts  should  convene  after  the  first  day  of  the  following 
March,  any  j^erson  or  persons  should  assault,  beat,  wound, 
or  openly  threaten  the  Judge  or  other  officers  of  the  Court, 
hinder  sheriffs  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  burn  or  other- 
wise destroy  any  churdi,  chapel,  court-hovise,  prison,  dwell- 
ing, or  ont-house,  such  person  or  persons,  and  their  aiders 
and  abettors,  if  duly  convicted  before  a  jury,  shoidd  l)c  ad- 
judged felons  and  suffer  death  without  benefit  of  the  clergy ; 
that  if  any  pereon  should  be  presented  by  a  grand  jury  for 
the  crimes  above  specified  and  sliould  evade  arrest,  procla- 
matiiiu  of  (Mitbnvry  should  issue  against  him,  and  any  party 
thereafter  slaying  him  should  not  be  held  ac('o\iutablc  for  the 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  319.  481. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  113 

deed ;  that  the  Governor  and  Ctommander-in-Chief  should 
ha%'e  power  to  make  drafts  on  the  militia  if  a  militaiy  expe- 
dition should  l)e  found  necessary,  and  that  the  cost  of  such 
expedition  should  be  paid  out  of  the  public  treasury ;  that  if 
a  body  of  men  should  gather  together  in  arms  for  the  purpose 
of  resisting  the  militaj-y  forces  thus  ordered  out,  and  should 
fail  to  lay  down  their  arms  and  surrender  when  so  com- 
manded, such  men  should  be  deemed  traitors  and  dealt  with 
imder  the  law  against  treason;  tbat  any  judge  in  the  proviuce 
should  have  power  to  issue  wan-ants  against  any  of  the  classes 
of  offenders  mentioned  above,  although  such  offenders  might 
reside  in  districts  other  than  the  one  wherein  he  was  holding 
court ;  that  the  Justices  of  every  Inferior  Court  and  the  min- 
ister of  each  parish  in  the  province  should  cause  this  act  to 
be  publicly  read  before  the  people  on  the  second  day  of  each 
court,  or  at  least  onoe  every  three  months,  during  the  continu- 
ance of  this  act;  and  that  the  act  should  continue  in  force 
for  the  space  of  one  year,  and  no  longer. 

The  above  act  (Chapter  I  of  the  Laws  of  1770)  is  some 
times  known  as  the  Johnston  Act,,  after  its  author,  and  some- 
times as  the  Riot  Act.  When  it  was  sent  to  England  to  be 
passed  upon  by  the  authorities  there,  even  in  that  country — a 
land  where  the  remains  of  quartered  Jacobites  had  recently 
been  exhibited  like  so  much  meat  on  a  spit-rack — even  there, 
parts  of  this  law  were  declared  "irreconcilable  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  constitution,  full  of  danger  in  its  operation,  and 
imfit  for  any  part  of  the  British  Empire."*  Permission, 
however,  was  given  the  Carolina  Assembly  to  continue  in 
force  such  sections  of  the  act  as  were  not  considered  too  severe. 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI.  p.  516;  Ibid.,  Vol.  IX,  p.  289. 


114:  GOVEENOK  TETON 

The  Regulators,  no  doubt  believing  themselves  secure  by 
reason  of  their  nuraljers,  were  not  at  all  frightened  by  the 
Johnston  Act,  though  its  passage,  as  might  be  supposed,  did 
not  put  them  in  a  very  amiable  frame  of  mind.  Of  their 
sentiments  on  the  subject  we  have  some  knowledge  from  a 
deiwsition  made  in  1771  by  Waightstill  Avery.*  It  seems 
that,  in  the  year  mentioned,  this  gentleman  was  cajjtured  at 
a  ferry  by  the  insurgents;  and,  when  an  inn  was  reached, 
one  of  their  number  advised  him  to  "call  for  a  bowl  of  toddy 
and  treat  the  captains,  for  they  were  going  to  ride  on  to  the 
Regulating  Camp."  The  toddy  being  forthcoming  at  Mr. 
Avery's  expense,  he  was  simply  detained,  not  being  mal- 
treated ;  but,  while  in  the  camp,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  get 
the  sentiments  of  the  insiu-gents.  One  of  their  niunbcr, 
Thomas  Hamilton,  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  crowd  and  deliv- 
ered himself  as  follows :  "What  basiness  has  Maiirice  Moore 
to  be  a  Judge  ?  He  is  no  Judge ;  he  was  not  appointed  by 
the  King — he  nor  Henderson  neither.  They'll  neitlier  of 
them  hold  court.  The  Assembly  have  gone  and  made  a  Riot- 
ous Act,  and  the  people  are  more  enraged  than  ever.  It  was 
the  best  thing  which  could  be  done  for  the  coimtry,  for  now 
we  shall  be  forced  to  kill  all  the  clerks  and  lawyers,  and  we 
will  kill  them;  and  I'll  lx>  damned  if  they  are  not  put  to 
death.  If  they  had  not  made  that  act  we  might  have  suf- 
fered some  of  them  to  live.  A  Riotous  Act !  There  never 
was  any  such  act  in  the  laws  of  England,  or  any  other  cmiu- 
try  but  France;  they  brought  it  from  France,  and  tlicy'U 
bring  the  Incpiisitiou  next." 

On  March  11,  1771,  tlie  grand  jury  fur  the  district  of  iS'ew 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  VoL  VHI.  p.  518,  ct  eeq. 


OF    NOETJI    CAROLINA.  115 

Bern  returned  sixty-two  bills  against  different  Eegiilators.* 
Among  those  indicted  were  Hennon  Husband,  James  Ilnnter, 
James  Few,  Jeremiah  Field,  Robinson  York,  John  Pugh, 
William  Butler,  Samuel  Devinney,  Rednap  Howell,  Ninian 
Hamilton,  Ninian  Beall  Hamilton,  and  John  Fruit. 

On  the  IStli  of  March,  Governor  Tryon  began  active  prep- 
arations for  the  forcible  reduction  of  the  EegTilators.  First 
he  submitt<>d  his  proposition  to  the  Council  ;f  and,  in  the 
record  of  this  matter,  the  Journal  says:  "The  board  taking 
the  same  into  their  serious  consideration,  it  is  their  unani- 
mous opinion  that  the  most  effectual  measures  to  reduce  the 
people  calling  themselves  Regulators  be  pursued  by  raising 
a  body  of  sufficient  forces  from  the  militia,  and  marching 
against  them  with  all  expedition." 

Both  the  Cbuncil  and  Grand  Jury,  upon  Tryon's  offer  to 
command  the  colonial  forces  in  person,  were  favorable  to  the 
plan,  and  he  sent  out  a  circular  letter  on  the  day  following 
(March  19th),  calling  upon  the  colonels  of  militia  for  detach- 
ments from  tlieir  regiments.  He  also  fonvarded  a  request 
to  General  Gage,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  British  forces 
in  America,  for  two  field-pieces  with  which  to  cover  any  fords 
which  the  Regulators  might  fortify.  Some  artilleiy  (swivel- 
guns)  the  Governor  already  had.  Going  in  person  to  Wil- 
mington, Tryon  there  made  plans  for  raising  the  troops  of 
that  section,  and  promoted  Colonel  Hugh  Waddell  to  the  rank 
of  general.  Expresses  to  President  Nelson,  acting  Governor 
of  Virginia,  and  Governor  Bull  of  South  Carolina,  were 
also  sent,  requesting  that  they  take  precautions  to  the  end  that 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  pp.  531-532. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  Vm,  p.  538. 


116  GOVERNOE    TEYON 

none  of  the  insurgents  should  be  suffered  to  seek  shelter  l^y 
crossing  the  borders  into  those  colonies.* 

The  plan  agreed  upon  was  that  General  Waddell  should 
proceed  to  raise  the  forces  of  the  western  counties,  and  form 
a  rendezvous  at  Salisbuiy;  while  Tiyon,  with  the  eastera 
troops,  should  close  in  from  the  opposite  direction.  Salis- 
bun'  had  recently  been  occupied  by  a  force  of  Regulators ; 
but  the  officer  there  in  command  of  the  calonial  forces,  Major 
Dobbins  (who  had  been  promoted  from  captain  since  Tryon's 
first  expedition),  succeeded  in  presei'ving  the  peace,  with  the 
aid  of  a  detachment  from  Mecklenburg,  marched  down  in 
great  haste  under  Colonel  Moses  Alexander  and  Captain 
Thomas  Polk.f  Acting  imder  Major  Dobbins  on  this  occa- 
sion was  Cajitain  Griffith  Rutlierford,  who  aftenvards  sei-ved 
the  colonies  as  a  brigadier-general  during  the  Revolution. 
Another  captain  in  this  force  was  George  Henry  Berger,  who 
also  became  a  useful  Revolutionary  patriot  in  later  years. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  Tryon  began  his  march  from  New 
Beni ;  and,  nine  days  later,  arrived  at  Hunter's  Lodge,  in 
Wake  county,  which  was  appointed  as  the  place  of  rendezvous 
for  the  eastern  troojis.  Here  the  forces  of  the  vicinity,  under 
Colonel  John  Hinton,  awaited  him,  together  with  some  addi- 
tional detachments  from  other  counties. 

If  it  is  allowable  for  history  to  draw  on  fiction,  in  the 
course  of  a  nan-ative,  it  will  be  a  pleasure  for  us  here  to  pause 
and  recall  the  account  of  a  North  Carolina  novelist,  who  tells 
of  the  progress  of  his  hero  who  marched  from  New  Bern 
under  the  Governor's  banner: 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI.  pp.  540-642.  M7-548. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  ViU,  pp.  635.  548. 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  117 

"For  days  and  nights,  and  nights  and  davs,  did  they  march 
and  encamp,  decamp  and  march  again,  over  roads  and  through 
forests,  by  river  and  by  brook ;  and,  as  they  marched,  others 
came  to  swell  their  ranks.  Sometimes  the  army,  emerging 
from  a  dense  wood,  came  face  to  face  with  a  motley  com- 
pany of  volunteers  cheering  and  waving  their  caps.  Again, 
some  quick-eyed  woodsman  would  see  afar  the  glinmier  of 
arms  and  the  cloud  of  dust  that  overhimg  some  detachment 
approaching  in  the  distance.  Thus  came  the  re-inforcements 
from  the  counties  Craven  and  Carteret,  from  Dobbs  and  from 
'New  Hanover,  from  Johnston  and  from  Onslow  and  fi-om 
Wake;  and  the  cheers  were  loud  and  long  when  Bullock 
dashed  among  them  with  his  company  of  light-horse,  when 
Neale  s^vuiig  into  line  with  his  band  of  sturdy  riflemen,  and 
when  Moore  toiled  into  the  column  with  his  little  battery  of 
artillery."* 

Though  the  list  cannot  be  fully  given,  it  will  doiibtless  be 
of  interest  to  record  the  names  and  ranks,  so  far  as  can  be 
learned,  of  the  officers  serving  immediately  under  Tryon  in 
his  Alamance  campaign.f  Of  the  force  under  General  Wad- 
dell  mention  will  presently  be  made.  The  officers,  so  far  as 
known,  in  the  Governor's  little  army  were:  Lewis  Henry 
DeRosset,  Adjutant-General;  Robert  Campbell,  Assistant 
Adjutant-General;  Robert  Howe,  Quartennaster-General ; 
Alexander  Lillington,  Assistant  QTiartermaster-General ; 
John  Rutherford,  Judge-Advocate-General ;  Thomas  Clark, 
Provost-Marshal-General ;  Reverend  James  Macartney,  Chap- 

•From  "Wallannah:  A  Colonial  Romance,"  by  Will  Loftin  Har^rave. 
t  Compiled  chiefly  from  Tryon's  Journals,  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII,  pp.  574- 
600.  659-677;  State  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  XIX.  pp.  836-854. 


118  GOVERNOE    TEYON 

lain;  and  James  Moore  of  I^eM^  Hanover,  Colonel  of  Artil- 
lery.    The  colonels  commanding  county  detachments  were: 
John    Ashe    of    Brnnswick,    Eichard    Caswell    of    Dobbs, 
Joseph  Leech  of  Craven,  William  Cray  of  Onslow,  William 
Thompson  of  Carteret,  Edmnnd  Fanning  of  Orange,  Need- 
ham  Bryan  of  Johnston,  and  John  Hinton  of  Wake.     Among 
officers    of  lesser   rank   were:  Lieutenant-Colonels   Eichard 
Cogdell  and  Abner  Nash;  Majors  Francis  Mackilwean  and 
Eichard  Clinton;  Captains  Christopher  Xeale  (Craven  Ean- 
gers),  Philemon  Hawkins  (Bute  Light-Horse),  John  Patten 
(Beaufort),   William   Bullock    (Governor's   Body-guard   of 
"Gentlemen    Volunteer    Light-Horse"),    Eobert    Salter    (of 
Pitt),  John  Walker  (New  Hanover  Artillery-),  James  Moore 
(of  Wake),  Simon  Bright  (of  Dobbs),  Francis  Nash   (of 
Orange),  Nathaniel  Hart  (of  Orange),  Farquard  Campbell 
(of   Oimiberland) ;    Adjutant   William   Burke ;    Lieutenant 
John  Baptista  Ashe ;  Ensign  Eobert  Fenner,  Ensign  William 
Bryan,  and  Ensign  William  Peyton.     Captain  James  Moore 
of  Wake  eoimty  should  not  be  confused  with  Colonel  James 
Moore  of  New  Hanover.     As  Aids-de-Camp  to  the  Governor 
were  Captains  Philemon  Hawkins  of  the  Bute  Light-Horse, 
Isaac  Edwards,  William  Palmer,  Willie  Jones,  Thomas  Clark 
(also   Provost-Marshal-General),    and    John    Malcom.     The 
last  two  were  appointed  to  succeed  Edwards  and  Palmer,  who 
had   resignied.     The   Surgeons  were:  Thomas  Cobham   and 
Thomas    Haslin.     Doctors    Matthewson    and    Powers    were 
Surgeons'  Mates.     Captains  Eichard  Blaekledge  and  Thomas 
ILart  were  Commissaries,  and  Ensign  Alexander  Gillespie 
conmianded  the  Coi-^js  of  Pioneers. 

The  troops  under  General  Waddcll  did  not  join  Tryun  in 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  H!) 

time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Alamance.  They  were  nse- 
ful,  however,  in  completing  the  work  of  subjugation  already 
begim.  The  forces  commanded  by  Waddell  were  a  detach- 
ment of  artilleiy  under  Colonel  Robert  Scliaw  and  county 
detachments,  officered  as  follows:  Colonel  Robert  Harris  (of 
Mecklenburg),  Colonel  Samuel  Silencer  (of  Anson),  Colonel 
William  Lindsay  (of  Rowan),  and  Colonel  Thomas  Neel 
(of  Tryon).  Among  other  officers  were  Majors  Francis 
Ross,  Samuel  Snead,  and  William  Luckie;  and  Ca^Dtains 
Griffith  Rutherford  and  Adam  Alexander.  Colonel  ]\Ioses 
Alexander  and  Captain  Thomas  Polk  acted  as  Commissaries ; 
the  Reverend  Mr.  Terry  was  Chajslain,  and  Doctor  Richards 
(transferred  from  Tryon's  command)  served  as  Surgeon.* 

The  above  lists  by  no  means  include  all  the  officers; 
for,  as  in  the  1768  exiDedition,  the  number  of  officers  was 
far  in  excess  of  the  forces  they  commanded.  According 
to  Governor  Tryon's  statement,  tliere  were  about  eleven 
hundred  men  immediately  imder  him,  officers  included, 
while  the  Regulators  numbered  about  two  thousand.  The 
forces  under  General  Waddell  (which  were  not,  however,  in 
the  battle)  did  not  exceed  three  hundred.f  In  one  entiy  in 
his  Journal  it  is  said  by  Tryon  that  the  Wake  detachment 
and  the  Light  Infantry  did  not  join  the  anny  before  the  20th 
of  May.  This  means  that  they  did  not  re-join  the  army  till 
May  20th,  after  being  detailed  on  a  special  service.  The 
records  show  that  the  ^Yake  county  troof)S  were  in  seiwice 
at  the  time  of  the  battle ;:}:  and,  in  after  years,  when  Richard 

•  This  list  of  officers  is  compiled  cliiefly  from  Waddell's  Journal.  Colonial  Records  of 
N.  C.  Vol.  Vni.  pp.  601-608. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  pp.  607.  610.  677. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI,  p.  584. 


120  GOVKKNOE    TEYON 

Caswell  was  Governor  during  the  Eevolution,  he  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  the  Legislature  which  contained  a  complimentary 
reference  to  Colonel  Hinton  of  the  Wake  detachment  (a 
noted  patriot),  whose  "bravery  and  resolution,"  lx)th  at  Ala- 
mance and  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  Caswell  said  he  had  per- 
sonally witnessed.*  The  jxisitiou  of  the  Wake  troops  in  the 
line  of  battle  is  also  set  forth  in  Martin's  History  of  North 
Carolina. 

During  the  trouble  with  the  Regulators,  Bute  county  was 
apparently  seriously  disaffected  to  the  govenuuent.  When 
Colonel  William  Johnston  ordered  a  muster  of  his  regi- 
ment, from  which  to  draw  the  small  quota  of  fifty  men,  it 
was  said  that  the  troops  broke  ranks  and  declared  for  the 
insurgents.  Shortly  after  this,  however,  a  board  of  officers 
(which  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  matter)  found  that 
Colonel  Johnston  had  not  made  proper  efforts  to  raise  the 
quota.  Thereupon  he  was  removed  from  command  and  suc- 
ceeded by  Colonel  Thomas  Eaton.-}-  jSTot  desiring  that  Bute 
should  be  backward  in  I'endering  the  sei'vice  required,  one 
of  its  leading  citizens,  Philemon  Hawkins,  soon  raised  an 
effective  and  well  armed  troop  of  light-horse,  which  he 
tendered  to  the  Governor.  This  offer  was  accepted,  and 
the  men  of  Bute  rendered  valiant  service  at  Alamance, 
their  coimnauder  at  one  time  acting  as  an  aid-de-eamp 
to  His  Excellency.  Captain  Hawkins  and  his  son,  Phile- 
mon Hawkins,  junior  (the  latter  a  courier  on  Tryon's  staff), 
were  later  colonels  in  the  Revolution.  Colonel  Benja- 
min Hawkins,  United  States  Senator  from  North  Carolina, 


•state  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XH.  p.  707. 

f  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII.  pp.  652,  688.  672. 


OF    XOETII    CAROLINA. 


121 


and  Indian  Agent  for  the  Sontheni  States,  was  another  son 
of  Tryon's  Aid-de-Camp ;  Avhile  William  Hawkins,  "War 
Governor"  of  jSTorth  Carolina  dnring  the  second  conflict  with 
Great  Britain  in  1812,  was  a  son  of  the  younger  Philemon. 
When  Colonel  Philemon  Hawkins,  jnnior,  died  (February 
28,  1833),  his  obituary  stated:  "He  belonged  to  a  troop  of 
cavaliy  at  the  battle  of  Alamance,  which  was  fought  on  the 
16th  of  May,  1771,  and  for  the  distinction  he  merited  on 
that  occasion  was  presented  by  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Gov- 
ernor Ti-yon,  with  a  beautiful  rifle." 

We  shall  now  give  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Alamance, 
with  its  accompanying  circ\imstances.  Wlien  Tryon  en- 
camped at  Hunter's  Lodge,*  the  seat  of  Colonel  Theophilus 
Hunter,  about  four  miles  south  of  where  the  city  of  Raleigh 
now  stands,  he  remained  there  four  days,  from  the  4th  till 
the  8th  of  May.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in  secur- 
ing the  services  of  the  troops  from  Wake  county,  many  of 
them  having  to  be  forcibly  drafted  into  the  army,  though 
their  commander.  Colonel  Hinton,  was  imtiring  in  his  efforts 
to  aid  the  government.f  Finding  that  he  could  not  carry  his 
artillery  over  the  Granville  Tobacco  Path,  which  went  in 
the  direction  of  Hillsborough,  Tryon  had  a  way  cleared 
throiigh  the  woods  and  called  it  Ramsgate  Eoad.  This 
road — with  its  name  corrui^ted  into  "Ramcat" — is  still  in 
use  near  Raleigh. 

Marching  westward  from  Hunter's  Lodge  on  May  8th, 
Tryon  and  his  army  camped  in  the  vicinity  of  Hillsborough 

'  As  I  once  stated  in  my  pamphlet  biography  of  Colonel  Joel  Lane,  Hunter's  Lodge  was 
a  diiTerent  plantation  from  Spring  Hill,  the  seat  of  Theophilus  Hunter.  Jr. 
t  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  pp.  838-839. 


122  GOVERNOR    TEYON 

on  the  next  day;  and,  after  some  delay,  pitched  their  tents, 
on  the  14th,  at  Great  Alamance  Camp.*  At  Ilillslxiroug-h 
the  Governor  received  an  express  from  General  Waddell, 
stating  that  a  supply  of  ammunition  coming  to  him  from 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  had  been  intercepted  and  blown 
up  by  the  Regulators,  after  which  they  had  assembled  in  such 
numbers  as  to  ciit  oif  his  march,  and  he  had  been  compelled 
to  retreat  to  Salisbury.f  The  destruction  of  Waddell's  am- 
munition train  was  etfected  by  some  young  nien  styling  them- 
selves "Black  Boys,"  their  faces  being  blacked  as  a  disgiiise. 
They  lived  in  that  part  of  Mecklenburg  which  is  now  Cabar- 
rus coimty.  The  sviecess  of  this  "gunpowder  plot,"  as  it 
was  afterwards  called,  having  deprived  Tryon  of  the  aid  of 
his  most  trusted  ally,  he  was  left  in  a  vei-y  critical  position 
to  face  a  force  which  outnumbered  him  twofold.  "Citizen 
against  citizen,"  says  Williamson,  "the  difference  was  gi'cat 
in  favor  of  the  Regulators ;  but  they  were  called  together  in 
haste,  to  risk  their  lives  for  a  nameless  something,  that  was 
hardly  described  or  understood.  The  object  was  painted  in 
different  shapes  and  colors,  according  to  the  craft  or  imagina- 
tion of  different  leaders.  The  militia,  well  appointed,  were 
commanded  by  an  experienced  officer.  They  resented  the 
turbulence  of  men  who  had  compelled  them  to  leave  their 
homes  at  a  critical  season  of  the  year  and  they  were  contend- 
ing for  the  security  of  their  possessions.":}: 

When  the  opposing  forces  drew  near  each  other  the  Regu- 
lators presented  another  petition  to  Tryon,  rinjuesting  a  re- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  Vni.  pp.  B7G-B82. 

t  Williamson's  History  of  N.  C.  Vol.  U,  p.  145;  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII.  pp. 
608.  610.  622. 
t  Williamson's  History  of  N.  C.  Vol.  U.  p.  147. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  123 

dress  of  grievances.  Tliereupon  one  of  His  Excellency's 
Aids-de-Camp,  Captain  Malcom,  was  sent  fonvard  with  the 
answer  that  both  personally  and  ofBcially  the  Governor  had 
already  nsed  every  possible  measure  to  quiet  the  disturbances 
and  now  had  nothing  further  to  ofter ;  that  he  demanded 
immediate  submission  to  the  government,  a  promise  to  pay 
the  taxes  they  had  so  long  withheld,  a  peaceful  retiu'u  to 
their  homes,  and  a  solemn  assurance  that  they  would  no 
longer  protect  persons  imder  indictment  from  a  trial  by  the 
courts.  One  hour,  he  said  in  conclusion,  would  be  given 
them  in  which  to  consider  the  terms  offered  ;  and,  if  rejected, 
the  consequences  which  followed  would  be  attributable  to 
them  alone.*  To  this  proposition  came  the  dignified  reply 
that  the  messenger  might  go  back  and  tell  Billy  Tryon  they 
defied  him,  and  a  fight  was  all  they  wanted.  Even  then  the 
Governor  did  not  resort  to  force,  but  sent  a  magistrate  to 
fonnallj^  command  them  to  disperse ;  and,  later  still,  for- 
warded his  ultimatum  by  Captain  Hawkins. 

When  the  above  courtesies  were  being  interchanged,  both 
armies  had  been  drawn  uj)  for  action.  After  treating  of  the 
day  preceding  the  battle,  the  historian  Martin  says,  referring 
to  Tryon's  force:  "The  army  moved  the  next  morning,  at 
break  of  day,  without  beat  of  drum,  leaving  their  tents  stand- 
ing, and  their  baggage  wagons  in  the  camp;  one  company, 
from  the  detachment  of  Johnston  county,  with  such  men  as 
were  not  able  to  march  briskly,  remained  behind,  as  a  guard 
to  the  camp,  under  the  orders  of  Colonel  Bryan;  the  wagon 
horses  were  kept  in  their  gears,  and  the  whole  army  was 

•Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  U,  p.  280;  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIH,  pp.  640- 
642;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  843. 


124  GOVERNOR    TKYOX 

d^a^\^l  into  a  hollow  square.  At  a  distance  of  five  miles 
from  the  camp,  the  armies  being  within  half  a  mile  from 
each  other,  three  guns  were  fired,  as  a  signal  to  form  the  line 
of  battle,  which  was  immediately  done.  The  Governor's  men 
were  drawn  into  two  hollow  lines,  at  the  distaiu'e  of  one  hun- 
dred yards  from  each  other ;  the  detachment  of  the  counties  of 
Craven  and  Beaufort  formed  the  right  wing  of  the  front 
line,  and  those  of  the  counties  of  Carteret  and  Orange  the 
left,  with  the  artillery  in  the  centre ;  the  detachment  of  the 
county  of  Xew  Hanover,  and  three  companies  of  the  county 
of  Dobbs,  foi-med  the  right  wing  of  the  second  line,  and  those 
of  the  counties  of  Onslow  and  Johnston,  with  the  rest  of  that 
of  Dobbs,  the  left;  the  detachment  of  the  county  of  Wake, 
with  a  troop  of  light-horsemen  from  that  of  Duplin,  rc-in- 
forced  the  rear-guard ;  the  rangers  covered  the  flanks  on  lioth 
sides,  facing  to  the  right ;  the  troop  of  light-horse,  from  the 
county  of  Orange,  escorted  the  Governor;  the  detachment  of 
the  counties  of  Carteret  and  Onslow  were  directed,  in  case 
of  an  attack  on  tlie  left  wing,  to  form  an  angle  for  their  re- 
spective lines  to  cover  the  left  flank."* 

While  encamped  near  Hillsborough,  two  officers  of  Tryon's 
anny,  Captain  John  Walker  and  Lieutenant  John  Baptista 
Ashe  (not  Colonel  John  Ashe,  as  so  many  historians  state), 
had  been  captured  by  the  Begulators,  tied  to  trees  and  bru- 
tally beaten.f  Word  was  later  brought  to  Tryon's  camp  that 
these  gentlemen  would  be  exposed  to  the  fire  of  their  own 
friends  by  being  placed  in  front  of  the  Regulators'  line  of 
battle.     The  Governor  thereupon  sent  forward  one  of  his 

•  Martin's  Hisloiy  of  N.  C,  Vol.  H.  p.  179. 

t  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  pp.  844-845. 


1 


r^    -"  -    f  --■ 


y^".'' 
•i-^ 


L     r 


^r  I 


/ 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  125 

aids  to  say  that  several  Regulators,  who  had  been  captiired, 
were  j^laced  in  a  position  of  safety,  and  he  hoped — in  view 
of  this  fact — the  same  consideration  would  be  shoAvn  to  the 
above  officers.  In  answer,  the  proposition  was  made  that 
the  seven  Regulators  should  be  exchanged  for  Ashe  and 
Walker.  These  unequal  terms  Tryon  at  first  refused,  but 
some  of  his  officers  finally  persuaded  him  to  agree,  and  Haw- 
kins rode  over  to  receive  the  prisoners.  The  insurgents,  who 
seem  to  have  grown  more  unreasonable  and  fool-hardy  each 
moment,  then  sent  word  that  they  would  comply  within  an 
hour.  This  was  more  than  Tryon  could  stand,  and  the  mar- 
vel is  that  he  restrained  himself  so  long.  As  an  ultimatum. 
Captain  Hawkins  was  directed  to  inform  the  Regulators  that 
the  Governor  would  delay  no  longer;  and,  imless  they  dis- 
persed, they  would  be  fired  upon  at  once.     "Fire  and  be 

d d !"  was  the  reply.     Then,  says  Martin  (from  whose 

history  this  account  is  largely  drawn),  the  Governor  gave  the 
word.  x\t  first  he  was  not  obeyed  ;  and,  rising  in  his  stii'rups, 
he  called  out :  "Fire !  Fire  on  them  or  on  me !"  This  sent 
forth  an  opening  volley,  and  the  action  became  general. 

In  his  official  report  of  the  battle,  to  the  Earl  of  Hillsbor- 
ough, King  George's  Secretary  of  State,  Tryon  wrote:  "I 
have  the  happiness  to  inform  Your  Lordship  that  it  has  pleased 
God  to  bless  His  Majesty's  arms  in  this  province  with  a  signal 
victory  over  the  Regulators.  The  action  began  before  twelve 
o'clock  on  Thursday,  the  IGth  instant,  five  miles  to  the  west- 
ward of  Great  Alamance  river,  on  the  road  leading  from 
Hillsborough  to  Salisbury.  The  loss  of  our  army  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  missing  amounts  to  about  sixty  men.  We  had 
but  one  officer  killed  and  one  dangerously  woimded.     The 


126  GOVEKNOE    TEYOK 

action  lasted  two  hours;  but,  after  about  half  an  hour,  the 
enemy  took  to  tree-fighting  and  much  annoyed  the  men  who 
stood  at  their  guns,  which  obliged  me  to  cease  the  ai'tillery 
for  a  short  time  and  advance  the  first  lines  to  force  the  rebels 
from  the  covering.  This  succeeded,  and  we  pursued  them 
half  a  mile  beyond  their  camp,  and  took  many  of  their  hoi-ses 
and  the  little  provision  and  ammunition  they  left  liehind 
them.  This  success  I  hope  will  lead  soon  to  a  perfect  restora- 
tion of  peace  in  this  country;  though,  had  they  succeeded, 
nothing  biit  desolation  and  ravage  would  have  sj^read  itself 
over  the  country."* 

Of  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  reported  above,  only 
nine  were  killed.  The  best  estimate  of  the  numliers  of  the 
Regulators  arrayed  at  Alamance  is  probably  that  which  says 
two  thousand,  tliough  several  contemporary  accounts  state 
that  there  were  twice  that  number,  including  unarmed. 
About  two  months  after  the  battle,  one  writer  (and  he  vciy 
miich  prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  Regulators)  says  a  field- 
piece,  which  was  fired  into  the  insurgents,  killed  one  man  and 
frightened  iliree  thousand  seven  hundred  from  off  the  ground, 
leaving  only  thre«  hundred  to  settle  the  matter.f  If  this  be 
true,  it  may  be  questioned  whether,  since  the  invention  of  gun- 
powder, a  single  shot  ever  caused  such  demoralization. 

The  most  pitiable  feature  of  the  battle  we  find  in  a  report 
by  Gideon  Wright  (of  the  then  newly  created  county  of  Sur- 
ry), who  fought  under  Tiyon.  Wi'ight's  account,  as  pre- 
served in  the  Moravian  records,  while  s])eaking  of  the  killed 
and  wounded  and  of  the  battle  in  general,  says  "miniy  had 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII.  p.  609. 
f  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C  Vol.  VUI,  p.  647. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  •  127 

taken  refuge  in  the  woods,"  whereupon  the  Governor  ordered 
the  woods  to  be  set  on  fire,  and  in  consequence  some  of  the 
wounded  were  roasted  alive.*  Doctor  Clewell,  in  his  excel- 
lent work,  which  reprints  Wright's  account,  seems  to  infer 
that  the  killed  and  wounded  alone  were  in  the  woods,  and 
that  the  Governor's  order  was  aimed  at  the  woimded.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  these  woods  were  swarming  with  riflemen,  who, 
as  Tryon's  report  mentions,  had  taken  to  "tree-fighting,"  i.  e., 
fighting  from  behind  trees — and  were  doing  some  execution 
among  tlie  provincial  militia,  when  it  l>ecame  necessary  to 
drive  out  the  Regulators  so  engaged.  After  the  battle,  at 
least,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  Tryon  showed  no  dispo- 
sition to  torture  the  wounded,  for  he  had  their  injuries  dressed 
by  the  saane  surgeons  who  were  in  attendance  on  his  ow\\ 
men.f 

Though  a  terrible  fate  awaited  some  of  the  captured  Regu- 
lators, one  of  Tryon's  first  acts  after  the  battle  was  to  offer 
a  general  pardon  to  all  parties  concerned  (except  outlaws  and 
prisoners)  who,  before  the  21st  of  May,  should  suiTcuder 
themselves,  give  up  their  arms,  take  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
and  promise  future  obedience  to  the  laws.  It  was  later  rep- 
resented to  the  Governor  that,  owing  to  bad  roads  and  swollen 
streams,  many  Regulators  would  be  unable  to  comply  in  time, 
so  four  successive  extensions  of  the  time  were  afterwards 
made.:}:  Among  those  excepted  from  the  benefit  of  these 
proclamations  were  the  young  men  who  destroyed  General 
Waddell's  ammunition,  and  several  other  persons,  including 
Captain  Merrill,  who  was  later  executed. 


'CleweU's  History  of  Wachovia,  p.  110. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X.  p.  1023;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  845, 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VUI.  pp.  608.  611,  613,  617. 


128  GOVERNUK    TKYON 

111  making  aeknowledgiiicnts  to  bis  army  on  the  day  after 
the  battle,  Tryon  said : 

"The  Gtjveriior,  impressed  with  the  most  alTectionate  sense 
of  gratitude,  gives  thanks  to  both  officers  and  soldiers  for  the 
vigorous  and  generous  support  they  afforded  him  yesterday 
in  the  battle  near  Alamance.  It  is  to  their  valour  and  steady 
conduct  that  he  owes,  under  the  providence  of  God,  the  signal 
victory  obtained  over  the  obstinate  and  infatuated  rebels. 
His  Excellency  sympathizes  with  the  loyalists  for  the  brave 
men  that  fell  and  suffered  in  the  action ;  but,  when  he  reflects 
tliat  tlie  fate  of  the  constitution  depended  upon  the  success 
of  the  day,  and  the  important  service  thereby  rendered  to 
their  King  and  coimtry,  he  considers  the  loss — though  at 
present  the  cause  of  affliction  to  tlieir  relations  and  friends — 
as  a  monument  of  lasting  glory  and  honour  to  themselves 
and  families. 

"The  dead  to  be  interred  at  5  o'clock  this  evening  in  front 
of  the  park  of  artillery. 

"Funeral  service  to  be  })erfonned  with  military  honours 
to  the  deceased. 

"After  the  ceremony  of  prayers  and  thanksgiving  for  the 
signal  victory  it  has  pleased  Divine  Providence  yesterday  to 
grant  the  army  over  the  insurgents."* 

In  a  second  and  more  exact  list  of  his  casualties,  Trj'on  re- 
ports that,  of  tlie  force  under  his  c«mmand,  nine  were  killed 
and  sixty-one  wounded.  Of  these  there  is  something  in  the 
records  to  show  names,  though  not  quite  fifty  per  cent,  is 
given. f     The  only  officer  killed  was  the  bearer  of  the  Koyal 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIU.  pp.  6S4-585. 

t  For  list  of  names,  etc.,  here  Riven,  see  Colonial  Recoi-ds  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  GO,  62-C4, 
92-93,  129-131,  397,  G94,  801-802;  State  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  XVI,  p.  135. 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  129 

standard,  Ensigu  William  Biyan  of  Craven.  This  gentle- 
man was  a  near  kinsman  of  Brigadier-General  William 
Bryan  of  the  Revolution,  and  belonged  to  the  well-known 
Bryan  family  still  resident  in  New  Bern.  The  King's 
colors  dropped  over  his  Iwdy  as  he  fell,  and  he  was  interred 
with  military  honors  along  with  the  other  soldiers  slain  in 
the  action.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Governor  Tryon  in 
1768  had  promised  that  the  honor  of  canying  the  standard 
should  always  be  assigned  to  the  Rowan  regiment ;  but,  at 
Alamance,  this  could  not  be  done,  as  the  detachment  from 
Rowan  was  then  marching  in  General  Waddell's  division, 
which  did  not  reach  the  scene  of  action  in  time  to  participate. 
So  the  custody  of  the  colors  remained  with  Craven,  the  Gov- 
ernor's home  county,  and  Ensign  Bryan  gave  his  life  in  their 
defense. 

Among  the  wounded  in  Tryon's  army  were  Ensign  William 
Peyton  (of  Beaufort  county),  and  the  following  non-com- 
missioned officers  and  privates:  Thomas  Caressy,  William 
Fullerton,  Cliarles  Yeats,  Isaac  Reed,  Henry  Costin,  Moses 
GrifSn,  Benjamin  Clash,  Andrew  Freasure,  Thomas  Clark, 
John  Strange,  William  Gilbert,  Thomas  Bryant,  Thomas 
Garnish,  Daniel  Pegram,  James  Hall,  Thomas  Kilpatrick, 
Charles  Harrington,  Christopher  Acklin,  Sweeting  Bond, 
Thomas  Tortle,  James  Nelson,  William  Lunsdale,  John 
Neville,  Thomas  Kersley,  and  William  Hiscock.  Some  of 
these  were  woimded  more  than  once.  Ercasure,  of  the  artil- 
lery, was  woimded  in  the  ankle,  and  then  blown  up  by  the 
powder  he  was  serving — "hoist  with  his  o^vn  petard."  John 
Strange,  one  of  the  injured,  was  drowned  a  few  months  after 
the  battle.     Though   not  woimded,   Alexander   Curtis   was' 


130  GOVEKNOR    TBYON 

seriously  disabled  by  sickness  contracted  in  this  campaign. 
The  worst  hnrt  man  seems  to  have  been  Thomas  Bryant,  who 
was  struck  five  times.  In  the  proceedings  of  the  Colonial 
Assembly  we  find  a  petition  from  Fearnaught  Beasley,  set- 
ting forth  that  her  son  was  killed  in  the  battle,  but  not  men- 
tioning his  given  name.  Similar  petitions  are  on  record 
from  Ann  Fergiison,  Elizabeth  Harper,  and  Faithy  Smith, 
whose  husbands  lost  their  lives  in  the  action.  The  given 
name  of  Mrs.  Smith's  hnsband  (as  might  be  supjiosed)  was 
John,  but  only  the  surnames  of  the  others  are  stated. 

After  the  fight  at  Alamance,  not  only  the  provincial  sol- 
diery but  also  the  wounded  Regulators  were  cared  for  by 
snrgeons  from  the  Governor's  anny.*  For  the  acconunoda- 
tion  of  those  who  were  too  badly  injured  to  proceed  on  the 
march,  a  hospital  was  improvised  by  fitting  up  for  such  use 
the  residence  of  Captain  Michael  Holt,  a  wealthy  land  owner 
of  that  section,  on  whose  plantation  the  battle  was  fought. 
Captain  Holt,  it  mil  be  remembered,  was  one  of  the  military 
officers  mobbed  by  the  Eegulators  in  17(i8 ;  but,  by  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Revolution  (February,  1776),  he  had  so  far 
become  reconciled  to  his  old  enemies  as  to  go  with  them 
into  the  Moore's  Creek  campaign — being  at  first  himself  a 
loyalist,  unlike  most  of  Tryon's  old  officers.  Before  reach- 
ing McDonald's  rendezvous,  however,  he  turned  back,  yet 
was  later  made  a  prisoner  of  war,  and  taken  to  Philadelphia. 
He  was  finally  released  by  order  of  the  Continental  Congress, 
upon  a  recommendation  from  the  North  Carolina  Cnunuittcc 
of  Safety,  which  foiuid  upon  investigation  that  "when  he  was 
fully  acquainted  with  the  intentions  of  the  Tories,  he  did  act- 
iially  return  home,  and  was  the  means  of  inducing  a  number 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  X.  p.  1023;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  845. 


OF    NOKTH    CAROLINA.  131 

of  others  to  follow  his  example  without  a  junction  with  the 
Scotch  army."* 

As  iUiistrative  of  the  fact  that  the  services  of  the  men  under 
Tryon  at  Alamance  were  always  held  in  grateful  remem- 
hrance,  it  is  noteworthy  that,  while  the  Eevolution  was  at 
its  height,  appropriations  were  made  hy  the  Whig  Legisla- 
ture of  North  Carolina  for  the  relief  of  soldiers  who  were 
suffering  from  injuries  received  while  fighting  against  the 
Regulators  on  that  occasion. f 

The  statement  has  been  made  by  the  historian  Martin  that, 
out  of  a  company  of  thirty  men  from  Beaufort  county,  fifteen 
were  either  killed  or  wounded  by  the  Regulators.:]:  This,  if 
correct,  was  a  far  gi-eater  percentage  than  might  be  expected 
from  the  general  result;  for,  in  the  matter  of  killed,  the 
whole  amiy  lost  only  nine.  But,  including  both  killed  and 
wounded,  the  statement  may  be  true.  The  commander  of 
this  company  of  Beaufort  men  was  Captain  John  Patten 
(not  Potter,  as  misprinted  in  Martin),  and  his  force  fonued 
a  part  of  the  regiment  of  Colonel  William  Thompson.  Cap- 
tain Patten  afterwards  won  fame  as  a  colonel  of  Continentals 
in  the  Revolution,  as  we  shall  hereafter  take  occasion  to  note. 

The  loss  sustained  by  the  insurgents,  in  killed  and  wounded, 
is  placed  by  Williamson  at  about  two  hundred ;  Martin  says 
upwards  of  twenty  were  killed,  and  many  more  wounded.  § 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  most  of  the  men  engaged  were 
experienced  backwoodsmen  and  hunters,  the  bad  niarksman- 

•  Tour  in  America,  by  J.  F.  D.  Smyth.  VoL  I.  pp.  226-232;  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C, 
VoL  X.  pp.  601,  828. 
t  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XVI,  p.  135. 
J  Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II,  p.  276. 
§  Williamson's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II,  p.  149;  Martin's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  U,  p.  275. 


132  GOVEKXOE    TEYON 

ship  displayed  at  Alamance,  particularly  by  the  Reg-ulators, 
is  almost  incredible.  As  has  been  seen,  only  nine  of  the  pro- 
vincial troops  were  killed,  thou,c;li  the  wonnded  numbered 
many  more.  In  an  account  written  from  ISTew  Bern  to  the 
Boston  Gazette/'  at  the  time  of  the  battle,  it  was  said  that  the 
bullets  fired  by  the  Regulators  flew  over  the  heads  of  Tryou's 
men  b}'  the  tens  of  thousands ;  and  this  may  not  be  an  exag- 
geration, as  the  insiu-gents  were  upwards  of  two  thousand  in 
number.  The  Reverend  Morgan  Edwards,  a  Baptist  clergy- 
man, who  visited  Alamance  and  its  vicinity  in  1773,  says  the 
Regulators  "lodged  in  the  trees  an  incredible  number  of  balls, 
v.'hich  the  hunters  have  since  picked  out  and  therewith  killed 
more  deer  and  turkeys  than  they  killed  of  their  antago- 
uists."t 

Though  only  nine  of  Tryon's  men  were  slain  at  Alamance, 
the  slaughter  of  his  troops  by  hostile  writers  since  that  time 
has  been  something  fearful.  In  an  account  quoted  by  Ca- 
ruthers,  James  Pugh  alone  is  credited  with  killing  and 
wounding  fifteen  militiamen — six  more  than  were  killed  by 
all  the  Regulators  together!  Verily,  the  pen  is  mightier 
than  the  sword. 

Nor,  in  recording  the  work  of  extermination,  should  the 
claims  of  George  Parsons  be  forgotten.  Parsons,  on  the 
night  before  the  battle,  moulded  twelve  bullets  for  his  rifle. 
In  after  years,  however,  he  modestly  admitted  that  he  had 
killed  and  wounded  only  eleven  of  Tryon's  men,  because 
once  his  gun  had  "choked  in  loading." 

As  the   insiu'gents  were  not  systematically   enrolled,   we 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VHI.  p.  616. 

t  Morgan  Edwardi*.  quotcl  in  David  Benedict's  History  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in 
America  {edition  of  ISIJ).  Vol.  \l.  p.  96,  note. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  133 

have  no  definite  return  of  their  losses,  and  only  one  or  two 
names  of  the  killed  hare  come  down  to  lis.  Robert  Thomp- 
son is  said  to  have  been  killed  by  Tryon  personally.  Of 
Thompson's  character  we  shall  have  something  to  say  in  the 
next  chapter. 

On  May  17th,  just  after  the  interment  of  the  soldiers 
slain  at  Alamance,  James  Few  was  hanged  at  the  head  of  the 
anuy.  He  had  been  engaged  in  the  Hillsborough  riots  and 
was  under  ban  of  outlawry  therefor.  Tliough  far  from  the 
lunatic  that  historians  have  represented  him  to  be,  Few 
was  of  a  fanatical  turn  religiously  and  believed  himself 
raised  up  by  the  baud  of  God  to  liberate  his  country — a  belief 
which  greater  men,  as  Oliver  Gromwell,  for  example,  have 
entertained  with  reference  to  themselves,  and  still  not  been 
considered  maniacs.  Several  days  after  the  above  execution. 
Captain  Willie  Jones,  with  a  company  of  horse,  raided  the 
plantation  of  Hcrmou  Husband  and  there  found  a  letter 
from  Few,  in  which  the  wi-iter  said  that  he  had  been  sent  by 
heaven  to  relieve  the  world  from  oppression  and  was  to 
begin  in  North  Carolina.*  This  paper,  which  gave  an  in- 
sight into  the  mental  condition  of  its  author,  was  discovered 
too  late  to  influence  the  Governor  to  spare  his  life.  As  a  rea- 
son for  the  immediate  execution,  instead  of  having  Few  tried 
with  the  other  prisoners,  Tryon  claimed  that  there  was  great 
murmuring  among  his  troops  because  none  of  the  insurgents 
were  summarily  dealt  with,  notwitlistanding  the  gi-eat  sac- 
rifice of  blood  and  life  their  armed  resistance  and  general 
lawlessness  had  caused.  Without  the  example  of  such  an 
execution,  it  was  said,  some  of  his  men  refused  to  go  farther, 

•  Williamson's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II.  p.  149,  noU. 


134  GOVERNOE    TETON 

while  others  declared  that  they  would  give  no  quarter  in  the 
future,  should  another  fight  occur.*  As  it  was,  the  proba- 
hility  is  that  Few  was  offered  a  conditional  pardon  and  re- 
fused it ;  for,  in  Clewell's  History  of  ^Vacllovia,■\  an  extract 
is  given  from  the  comnumity  diary  of  the  Moravians,  bearing 
date  May  24,  1771,  which  (on  the  testimony  of  a  messenger 
from  Alamance)  says :  "A  certain  yoimg  man,  a  fine  yoimg 
fellow,  had  been  captured,  and,  when  given  the  alternative 
of  taking  the  oath  or  being  hanged,  he  chose  the  latter.  The 
Governor  wished  to  spare  his  life,  and  twice  urged  him  to 
submit.  But  the  young  man  refused.  The  messenger  de- 
scribed how,  with  the  rope  arotmd  his  neck,  he  was  urged  to 
vield,  but  refused,  and  the  Governor  turned  aside  with  tears 
in  his  eyes  as  the  young  man  was  swung  into  eternity."  The 
old  Moravian  who  made  this  entry  observes:  "This  severity 
we  call  inliuman  obstinacy !"  The  point  connecting  Few  with 
this  incident  is  the  fact  that  he  was  the  only  Kcgulator  hanged 
before  June.  The  devastation  of  the  plantation  of  William 
Few  (father  of  James)  was  not  on  account  of  his  son's  con- 
duct, but  because  the  father  himself  was  chai-ged  with  being 
"very  active  in  promoting  the  disturbances  of  the  country.":}: 
The  J^orth  Carolina  Assembly,  however,  probably  did  not 
consider  this  charge  against  the  father  as  true,  for  a  l>ill  was 
later  passed  paying  him  for  the  property  dcstroj'cd.  As  to 
James  Few,  mention  has  been  made  in  a  previous  chapter  of 
the  sweet  and  sad  romance  which  has  floated  down  to  us  of 
how  he  was  a  young  man  engaged  to  Ix'  married,  when  the 

•state  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  845. 
tCleweH's  History  of  Wachovia,  p.  109. 
J  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX.  p.  852. 


OF    NOKTII    CAROLINA.  135 

wicked  Fanning  came  upon  the  scene  and  fore^'er  blasted  liis 
life  by  seducing  his  prospective  bride;  and  how  this  great 
sorrow  made  a  maniac  of  the  youthfvd  lover,  who  thereupon 
arrayed  himself  with  the  Regulators  in  order  to  have  a  chance 
at  the  life  of  the  man  who  had  done  him  so  great  an  injury. 
This  tale  was  first  printed  by  Caruthers  and  afterwards  em- 
bellished by  the  matchless  eloquence  of  Francis  L.  Hawks. 
Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  James  Few  was  a  married  man; 
and,  at  his  death,  left  a  son  and  a  daughter  (twins)  born 
February  9,  1771.  During  the  Revolution,  or  just  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  his  widow  became  the  wife  of  a  Tory,  where- 
upon members  of  the  Few  family  in  Georgia  (who  had  emi- 
grated from  ISTorth  Carolina  and  were  all  good  Whigs)  took 
his  children  from  their  mother  and  carried  them  to  Georgia, 
where  they  were  raised  in  the  family  of  their  imcle.  Colonel 
Benjamin  Few,  a  distinguished  Revolutionary  officer.  In 
her  new  home,  Sallie  Few,  a  daughter  of  the  Regiilator,  mar- 
ried the  Reverend  John  Garvin,  originally  an  Englishman, 
who  was  a  clergyman  of  the  Slethodist  Church  in  Georgia. 
One  member  of  the  family  of  Few  in  Georgia  was  the  Hon- 
orable William  Few,  at  one  time  a  colonel  of  the  Revolu- 
tionaiy  forces  of  that  State  and  later  a  member  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress.*  The  Regulator  had  a  sou  also,  named 
William,  who  was  one  of  the  two  children  carried  South  for 
the  reason  above  mentioned.  WTiat  became  of  the  last  named 
is  not  known.  He  may  have  died  young.  The  Few  family 
came  to  ISTorth  Carolina  from  Maryland,  but  their  original 

*  For  memoir  of  Colonel  William  Few.  by  Charles  C.  Jones,  Jr..  and  Few's  autobiog- 
raphy, see  Magazine  of  American  History,  November,  1381,  Vol.  Vn,  pp.  340-3.58;  portrait 
of  Few  in  same,  facing  p.  321. 


136  GOVEENOB    TRTON 

place  of  residence  in  America  was  Pennsylvania,  to  which 
province  they  came  with  Penn's  colonists. 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  cause  he  espoused,  the  man- 
ner in  which  James  Few,  the  Regulator,  went  to  his  death, 
scorning  a  recantation  of  his  principles  while  others  l^cgged 
for  mercy,  furnishes  an  example  with  but  one  parallel  in 
American  history.  The  story  of  his  execution  recalls  the 
fate  of  a  Confederate  martyr  in  later  years,  Sam  Davis  of 
Tennessee,  M'ith  the  lines  to  his  memory  by  a  Northern  writer : 

"They  offered  life  and  freedom 
If  he  would  speak  the  word; 
In  silent  pride  he  gazed  aside 
As  one  who  had  not  heard. 
They  argued,  pleaded,  threatened — 

It  was  but  wasted  breath. 
'Let  come  what  must,  I  keep  my  trust,' 
He  said,  and  laughed  at  death. 

"He  would  not  sell  his  manhood 

To  purchase  priceless  hope; 
Where  kings  drag  down  a  name  and  crown. 

He  dignified  a  rope. 
Ah,  grave!   where  was  your  triumph? 

Ah,  death!  where  was  your  sting? 
He  showed  you  how  a  man  could  bow 

To  doom,  and  stay  a  king!" 

But  we  must  now  turn  from  tliis  long  digTession  and 
resume  our  narrative  of  tlie  events  wliicli  followed  Tryon's 
victory.  As  already  stated,  Few  was  the  only  person  who 
was  executed  at  once.  But  many  prisoners  were  taken,  and 
twelve  of  these  were  afterwards  capitally  convncted,  though 
only  half  of  this  number  actually  suffered  death.     Some  of 


OF    NOKTII    CAEOLINA.  137 

the  particulars  of  their  trial  and  conviction  before  the  Court 
at  Hillsborough  will  be  later  given. 

After  perusing  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Alaniance,  a 
faint,  sorrowful  voice  in  the  heart  of  some  anxious  reader 
may  ask :  "What  of  Hermon  Husband,  the  chief  Regulator  ? 
In  a  list  of  killed  and  wounded,  infinitesinmlly  meagTe  though 
it  be,  sui'elv  something  may  be  foiuid  to  tell  of  his  fate. 
That  he  was  a  man  of  might,  full  well  we  know;  for  did  he 
not  join  with  several  hundred  other  patriots  and  drive  Judge 
Henderson  away  from  Hillslwrough  ?  And  did  not  these  self- 
same partiots,  with  no  outside  assistance,  punish  John  Wil- 
liams upon  discovering  that  he  was  guilty  of  practising  law  ? 
And  was  not  William  Hooper  subjected  to  treatment  scarcely 
less  severe  for  a  similar  offense  'i  And  furthermore,  did  they 
not  administer  a  well-merited  chastisement  to  the  rapacious 
Fanning  and  demolish  his  house,  leaving  not  one  stone  above 
another  ?  Oh,  Alamance !  Alamance  ! — 'where  tyrants  con- 
quer'd  and  where  heroes  bled' — may  thy  mute  rocks  iind 
utterance  in  all  succeeding  ages  to  tell  how  this  great  leader 
fell !"  And  then  the  lamentation  of  the  faint,  soiTOwful 
voice  dies  away,  and  out  gurgles  a  sigh  of  relief,  when  it  is 
learned  that  the  name  of  Mi'.  Husband  fails  to  appear  among 
the  victims  of  the  fight.  The  truth  is,  he  was  not  there. 
Like  the  war-steed  that  paweth  in  the  valley  and  rejoiceth 
in  his  strength,  he  went  forth  to  meet  the  armed  men,  mock- 
ing at  fear,  and  was  not  affrighted ;  but,  when  he  smelt  the 
battle  afar  off,  the  odor  thereof  reminded  him  of  what  Tip  to 
that  time  he  seems  to  have  forgotten — that  he  was  a  Quaker, 
with  conscientious  scruples  against  carnal  warfare.  So,  leav- 
ing his  less  pious  followers  to  try  conclusions  with  the  hated 


138  GOVEENOE    TRYON 

Tryon,  he  scampered  away  to  Pennsylvania — there  to  breed 
fresh  discord  after  the  Revolution  as  a  participant  in  the 
Whiskey  Insurrection,  for  which  he  was  sentenced  to  be 
hanged,  though  afterwards  pardoned. 

The  name  "Alamance"  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  of  Indian 
origin,  while  others  contend  (more  correctly,  perhaps) 
tliat  it  is  derived  from  the  Gotliic  word  Alamans — ''all 
men" — a  term  anciently  applied  to  the  federated  tribes  of 
Germany.  This  word,  in  a  slightly  changed  form,  still  sur- 
vives in  the  French  and  German  languages  to  signify  the 
coimtry  whose  inhabitants  it  originally  designated.  The 
locality  in  iS'orth  Carolina  where  the  name  occurs  was  settled 
largely  by  German  immigrants.  The  creek  known  as  the 
Great  Alamance  was  the  first  object  so  called  in  the  old  county 
of  Orange.  Many  years  later,  in  1848,  the  county  of  Ala- 
mance was  erected  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  the  bill  for  its 
creation  being  introduced  by  the  Honorable  Giles  Mebane. 
Though  some  contended  at  the  time  that  the  name  should 
be  given  a  different  orthograi)hy,  Mr.  Mebane  was  correct, 
according  to  old  records  and  maps.  Tryon  himself  spelled  it 
as  it  is  now  written,  and  it  is  the  same  on  the  map  "survey'd 
and  drawn  by  O.  J.  Sauthiei-"  in  1771,  as  shown  by  illustra- 
tion in  the  present  volimie.  Even  at  an  earlier  date  "Great 
Alamance  Creek"  appears  on  a  map  of  N^orth  Carolina  drawn 
by  Captain  John  Collet  and  published  by  an  act  of  the  Brit- 
ish Parliament  in  1770.  In  the  dedication  of  his  collection 
of  North  Carolina  statutes,  published  in  1773,  James  Davis 
also  spells  it  "Alamance."  A  different  spelling,  it  is  true — 
"Allemauce" — is  given  by  Maurice  Moore  in  his  "Atticus" 
Idler.      Great  Ahuuance  Creek  Hows  into  llaw  river,  and  one 


OF    NORTH    CAKOLINA.  139 

of  the  tributaries  of  Great  Alamance  is  another  creek  called 
the  Little  Alamance. 

The  location  of  the  battlefield  of  Alamance  is  in  Alamance 
county,  about  nine  miles  from  the  jireseut  town  of  Burlington 
(formerly  Company's  Shops),  in  a  south-westerly  direction. 
The  spot  vvhere  the  action  took  ])lace  is  marked  by  a  granite 
monument  which  was  dedicated  on  the  29th  of  May,  1880, 
when  Judge  Daniel  G.  Fowle,  Colonel  Thomas  M.  Holt  (each 
of  whom  later  successively  became  Governor  of  the  State), 
Reverend  Daniel  Albright  Long,  and  others  delivered  ad- 
dresses. The  movement  toward  erecting  the  above  memorial 
was  inaugurated  at  the  suggestion  of  Doctor  Long,  in  an 
address  near  the  battle  gTound  on  the  4th  of  July,  1879.  On 
the  monument  is  this  inscription : 

HERE 

WAS  FOUGHT  THE 

BATTLE  OF 

ALAMANCE, 

MAY  16,  1771, 

BETWEEN  THE 

BRITISH  AND  THE 

REGULATORS. 

Another  side  bears  the  date  of  the  erection  of  the  shaft, 
1880,  and  there  is  also  some  emblematical  ornamentation  cut 
on  the  granite. 


140  GOVERNOR    TRYON 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TRYON  COMPLETES  WORK  OF  SUBJUGATION  —  SIX  INSUR- 
GENTS HANGED  AND  SIX  PARDONED— CAPTAIN  MERRILL 
EXECUTED— TRYON  MADE  GOVERNOR  OF  NEW  YORK,  BUT 
TEMPORARILY  REMAINS  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA— "ATTIcrS" 
LETTER— CHARACTER  OF  ROBERT  THOMPSON— DEATH  OF 
GENERAL  WADDELL— THE  GILLESPIES  PARTRIOTS  IN  THE 
REVOLUTION— NEARLY  ALL  OTHER  REGULATORS  TORIES— 
TRYON'S  OLD  SOLDIERS  CONQUER  TORY  REGULATORS  IN 
THE  REVOLUTION— ALL  RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS  DIS- 
CLAIM REGULATORS— JAMES  HASELL,  ACTING  GOVERNOR- 
GOVERNOR  JOSIAH  MARTIN  ARRIVES— MARTIN  SNUBBED 
BY  ASSEMBLY,  WHICH  COMPLIMENTS  TRYON— CONCLUD- 
ING REMARKS  ABOUT  TRYON'S  ADMINISTRATION  IN  NORTH 
CAROLINA— ENTRANCE  UPON  HIS  DUTIES  IN  NEW  YORK. 

Though,  ill  rarrving  on  war  against  the  insurgents,  Tryon 
spread  desolation  among  tlieir  plantations,  he  issued  the 
strictest  orders  for  protecting  the  property  of  friendly  and 
neutral  inhabitants,  hoth  before  and  after  the  battle.  On 
May  13th  the  following  appears  in  his  military  .journal: 
"His  Excellency  having  been  informed  that  the  army  has  com- 
mitted outrages  on  the  properties  of  the  inhabitants  seated 
on  the  road,  contrary  to  his  express  commands,  and  .scandalous 
and  dishonourable  to  the  ser\'ice — he  does  once  more  strictly 
forbid  every  person  belonging  to  the  army  from  taking  or  dis- 
turbing the  i)roperty  of  any  person  whatsoever;  as  they  will, 
on  complaint  made,  receive  the  severest  punishment  the 
nature  of  the  oifence  deserves,  besides  making  restitution  to 
the  person  they  injure."  On  June  1st  we  find  the  order: 
"The  soldiers  not  to  burn  any  fence  rails  on  any  account. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  141 

on  pain  of  being  severely  pnnished."  And  again,  on  Jnne 
4th:  "Any  jjerson  that  is  detected  taking  anything  out  of 
the  gardens  or  hoiises  of  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  settle- 
ment or  doing  am^  injury  to  their  persons  and  properties, 
shall  be  most  severely  punished." 

It  was  not  until  the  4th  of  June  that  General  Waddell 
succeeded  in  effecting  a  junction  vdth  Tryon's  army;  and 
two  days  later  their  forces  celebrated  King  George's  birth- 
day and  the  victory  of  the  16th  of  May.  The  King's  birth- 
day fell  on  the  4th  of  June,  but  the  celebration  was  post- 
poned until  the  Moravian  settlement  was  reached.*  The 
Moravians  had  sent  Tryon  word  that  they  held  ready  for  his 
reception  the  same  room  he  had  occupied  during  his  visit  in 
1767,  and  this  message  greatly  pleased  him.f  After  his 
arrival  (June  3d),  Ti-yon  and  his  troops  lay  encamped  in 
the  town  for  several  days.  With  them  were  many  prisoners 
chained  together.  These  were  taken  with  the  army  for  the 
double  reason  that  the  sight  might  overawe  the  inhabitants  of 
the  districts  through  which  they  jjassed  and  because  there  was 
no  place  of  safe-keeping  where  they  could  be  left  till  Tryon's 
return  to  Hillsborugh.  At  the  Moravian  settlement  the  cele- 
lu-ation  of  the  King's  birthday  was  carried  out  in  due  form 
with  a  grand  military  review.  "The  army  was  drilled  for  sev- 
eral hours,  and  the  manoeuvres  of  the  Battle  of  Alamance  were 
repeated.  \^dley  after  volley  was  fired,  both  from  the  mus- 
ketry and  artillery,  imtil  the  houses  in  the  village  trembled 
and  shook.      This  display  of  an  army  of  three  thousand  men, 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIU,  pp.  592-593;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX. 
p.  851. 
tCleweU's  History  of  Wachovia,  p.  UO. 


142  GOVERNOR    TKYON 

under  the  command  of  select  officers,  was  a  grand  and  impos- 
ing sight.  At  two  o'clock  the  manoeuvres  were  finished  and 
the  army  marched  back  to  its  quarters."  So  says  the  town 
record  heretofore  quoted.*  After  this  disphiy  the  Governor 
was  waited  on  by  a  committee  composed  of  Frederick  William 
Marshall,  Jolm  Michael  Graff,  Kichard  Utley  and  Traugott 
Bagge,  all  leading  men  of  the  conunimity,  who  delivered  an 
address,  filled  with  expressions  of  loyalty  and  good-will,  to 
which  His  Excellency  made  an  appreciative  reply.  It  was 
on  the  7th  of  June  that  Tryon's  forces  again  directed  their 
march  towards  Hillsborough.  The  Governor  himself  tarried 
a  short  wliilo  before  following  theni. 

While  the  Moravian  records  are  of  the  greatest  value  his- 
torically, they  also  throw  some  light  on  the  humorous  side 
of  the  Eeg-ulation  movement.  Thus,  on  May  17th,  before 
news  of  the  battle  had  been  received,  we  find  the  entry :  "Old 
man  Jarvis  is  loud  in  his  threats  against  the  Moravians  for 
their  unwillingness  to  take  up  anns  against  the  Governor,  and 
he  declares  that  if  the  battle  is  decided  in  their  favor,  severe 
pimishment  will  follow  for  Bethabara."  On  May  22d,  Mr. 
Jarvis  again  passed  through,  and  "pleaded  with  Meyer  to 
use  his  good  influence  with  the  Governor  when  he  caaue  to 
Wachovia.  Jarvis  said  the  Regulators  would  never  forget 
the  kindness  if  the  Moravians  interceded  for  them."  Another 
venerable  patriot  seems  also  to  liave  gi-ound  out  words,  not 
wisely,  but  too  well,  as  the  following  will  show:  "Old  man 
Borg,  a  Regulator,  was  in  tovni  to-day,  making  wild  and 
excited  speeches,  filled  with  lies,  and  trying  to  stir  u])  our  peo- 
ple to  take  part  in  the  troubles."     Later  old  man  Borg  again 

•See  Clewell's  History  of  Wachovia,  pp.  114-115. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  143 

passed  through,  in  search  of  wounded  comrades;  then  "he 
said  that  the  people  in  Bethabara  had  given  him  good  advice, 
and  that  he  intended  to  follow  it."  When  some  Moravians 
wished  to  see  the  wounded  men,  Mr.  Borg  upbraided  them 
for  their  curiosity ;  thereupon  "three  Regulators  became  very 
angTy,  and  replied  to  the  old  man,  telling  him  he  had  no 
right  to  find  fault,  since  he  had  not  been  near  the  fighting." 
The  record  'also  states  that,  according  to  reports,  "the  lead- 
ers were  the  first  to  run  from  the  battlefield,  and  the  common 
people,  after  resisting  for  a  time,  also  fled  into  the  forest."* 
On  the  8th  of  June,  General  Waddell  was  detached  with 
a  considerable  force  of  infantry,  and  some  artillery  (the  lat- 
ter being  composed  chiefly  of  seamen),  to  enforce  the  sub- 
mission of  such  insurgents  and  suspects  as  had  not  siUTen- 
dered.f  This  step  was  taken  upon  receipt  of  a  report  that 
inhabitants  of  the  counties  of  Mecklenburg,  Tryon  and  a  part 
of  Eowan  meditated  further  resistance.  But  neither  Tryon 
nor  Waddell  met  \vith  any  opposition  after  the  fight  at  Ala- 
mance. That  action  brought  the  Regulators  to  a  realization 
of  the  fact  that,  while  His  Excellency  was  verj'  fond  of  issu- 
ing proclamations,  he  could  sometimes  resort  to  stronger 
measures,  when  the  occasion  required.  After  his  victory  at 
Alamance,  Tryon  advanced  into  the  plantations  of  the  prin- 
cipal persons  implicated  in  the  insurrection,  and  burned 
such  buildings  as  lay  in  his  route.:};  iVmoug  the  farms  thus 
devastated  was  one,  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  belonging 
to  Hermon   Husband.     Upon   his   wheat   fields   and   clover 


o 


*  Cleweirs  History  of  Wachovia,  pp.  105-108. 
+  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VHI,  pp.  649.  674. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  pp.  615.  651;  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XIX. 
p.  846. 


144  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

meadows  tlio  soldiers  grazed  tlieir  horses  (amouuting  to  sev- 
eral Inmdreds),  and  a  contemporaneous  accoimt  says  tlie  anny 
left  the  jjlace  without  a  sjiear  of  corn,  grass  or  herbage  grow- 
ing, and  without  a  house  or  fence  standing.  The  plantation 
buildings — "though  mean" — of  James  Hunter,  who  Tryon's 
Journal  says  was  the  general  of  the  rebels  and  an  outlaw, 
were  also  burned.  The  phrase  ''though  mean"  is  pi"obably 
intended  to  convey  the  idea  tliat  these  houses  were  too  insig- 
nificant to  be  worth  biTrning,  but  Hunter  no  doubt  thought 
that  the  act  of  destroying  tlicm  was  even  more  mean. 

Six  thousand  four  lumdred  ami  nine  persons  came  into 
camp  and  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  before  the  militia  was 
disbanded ;  and  seven  or  eight  hundred  stands  of  arms  were 
surrendered.* 

Under  the  law  against  treason,  as  laid  down  by  the  act  of 
Assembly  heretofore  quoted,  the  jjroperty  of  all  convicted 
liegidators  was  forfeited ;  but,  in  the  case  of  at  least  two 
(Merrill  and  Matear),  the  lands  were  restored  to  their  fami- 
lies, f 

When  the  forces  of  Tryon  and  Waddell  parted  early  in 
June  the  former  returned  to  Hillsborough ;  and,  almost  im- 
mediately after  his  arrival,  a  special  Court  of  Oyer  and 
Terminer  was  convened  for  the  trial  of  ])risoners  taken  in 
the  battle.:]:  Over  this  court  Chief  Justice  Howard  pre- 
sided, together  with  Associate  Justices  Moore  and  Henderson. 
Twelve  of  the  Re^lators  were  found  guilty  of  treason,  undi'r 
the  act  of  tlie  North  Carolina  Assembly  defining  lliat  crime, 


•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX.  p.  78. 

tCoIonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI,  p.  650;  Ibid..  Vol.  IX,  pp.  36,  65.  311. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VIII.  p.  650. 


OF    NORTH    CAKOLINA.  145 

and  were  condemned  to  death.  Those  hanged  were  six  in 
number:  Benjamin  Merrill,  Robert  Matear,  James  Pugh, 
and  three  whose  names  are  not  known.  The  remaining  six 
were  reprieved  by  Tryon,  who  forwarded  a  petition  to  the 
King,  begging  that  a  pardon  be  extended  to  them,  which 
was  accordingly  done.*  Those  who  thiis  escaped  the  gal- 
lows were:  Forester  Mercer  (Messer?),  James  Stewart, 
James  Emerson,  Herman  Cox,  William  Brown,  and  James 
Copeland.  The  authorities  in  ISTorth  Cai'olina  evidently 
thought  that  a  reprieve  from  the  Governor  was  equal  to  the 
King's  pardon;  for,  "by  some  strange  irregularity,"  the  pris- 
oners were  set  at  liberty  during  Tryon's  absence,  and  went  on 
their  way  rejoicing  before  the  royal  instructions  concerning 
them  were  received  by  Governor  Martin. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  some  writers  to  inveigh  bitterly 
against  Governor  Tryon  for  the  execution  of  the  Regulators, 
as  if  they  were  hanged  merely  to  gratify  a  thirst  for  blood 
on  his  part.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  no  more  to  do  with 
these  executions  than  the  present  Governor  of  ISTorth  Carolina 
has  with  the  punishment  which  the  law  imposes  upon  capital 
offenders.  The  Hillsborough  trials  were  not  courts-martial; 
they  were  presided  over  by  three  judges,  all  natives  of  America, 
and  two  of  whom  afterwards  supiwrted  the  colonies  during  the 
Revolution.  The  verdicts  were  rendered  by  a  jury  composed 
of  North  Carolinians,  acting  under  a  law  passed  by  the  North 
Carolina  Assembly.  When  several  thousand  men  had  been 
in  open  and  armed  insurrection  against  the  colony,  and  had 
been  guilty  of  all  manner  of  excesses,  only  twelve  were  con- 
victed ;  and  the  Governor  pardoned  half  of  that  small  num- 

*  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI,  p.  635;  Ibid.,  Vol.  IX.  pp.  36-37.  274.  311. 


146  GOVERNOK    TKYON 

ber.  Now,  all  tliis  being  true,  it  seeins  rather  bard  that 
Tryon  sliould  be  blamed  because  be  did  uot  entirely  nullify 
the  findings  of  law  and  fact  by  fifteen  North  Carolinians- 
three  judges  and  twelve  jurymen. 

The  place  where  the  six  Regulators  suffered  death  is  just 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  town  of  Hillsborough,  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  in  front  of  the  residence  of  the  late  Paul  C.  Came- 
ron, and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  tlxe  historic  Euo 
rivei".  In  a  gi"ove  of  many  acres,  filled  with  massive  white- 
oaks  and  other  survivors  of  the  original  forest,  is  a  large  slab 
which  was  placed  by  Mr.  Cameron  on  the  spot  where  the 
gallows  stood.  All  around  is  an  extensive  and  well-kept 
lawn,  crossed  by  a  slight  depression,  overgi-own  with  grass, 
which  was  once  the  Indian  Trading  Path.  Everything  is 
beautiful,  serene,  peaceful,  \vith  nothing  but  the  music  of 
song-birds  to  break  the  stillness,  and  one  finds  difiiculty  in 
realizing  that  this  lovely  place  was  once  the  scene  of  so  dis- 
tressing an  incident  as  the  one  there  presented  in  the  ''old 
colony  days."  Were  the  power  of  sjjeech  given  those  oaks 
and  the  stream  hard  by,  how  strange  a  tale  would  come  forth  ! 

"Old  trees  at  night  are  like  men  in  thought, 
By  poetry  to  silence  wrought; 
They  stand  so  still  and  they  look  so  wise 
With  folded  arms  and  half-shut  eyes, 
More  shadowy  than  the  shade  they  cast 
When  the  wan  moonlight  on  the  river  past; 
The  river  is  green  and  runneth  slow — 

We  cannot  tell  what  it  saith; 
It  kcepeth  its  secrets  down  below, 

And  so  doth  Death!" 

The  person  whose  fate  probably  excited  more  comjiassion 
than  that  of  any  other  Regulator  put  to  death,  was  Captain 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  147 

Benjamin  Merrill,  ■who  was  an  officer  of  militia  in  Rowan 
coimty  and  raised  a  company  to  join  the  insui'gents.  He  was 
largely  instrumental  in  turning  back  the  brigade  of  General 
Waddell.  Afterwards  he  was  captured  by  a  force  under 
Colonel  Fanning,  and  his  life  paid  the  penalty.  It  is  said 
that  when  he  was  brought  out  for  execution,  one  of  Tryon's 
soldiers  was  heard  to  declare  that,  if  all  men  went  to  the  gal- 
lows with  a  character  such  as  Captain  Merrill's,  hanging 
would  be  an  honorable  death.  On  being  permitted  to  speak, 
Merrill  said  he  had  been  deceived  concerning  the  objects  of 
the  revolt,  for  the  leaders  had  at  first  assured  him  that  the 
disputes  were  to  be  adjusted  without  bloodshed ;  that  after- 
wards he  was  pressed  to  further  action  by  the  report  (which 
he  too  late  found  to  be  false  and  propagated  to  shield  old 
offenders)  that  Tryon  had  raised  the  militia  to  lay  waste  the 
country  and  destroy  the  inhabitants ;  but  that  now  all  was 
over,  and  he  hoped  that  the  multitude  would  profit  by  his 
miserable  end  when  he  was  hung  up  as  a  spectacle  before 
them.  Concerning  his  private  life,  he  declared  that  he  knew 
of  no  charge  which  could  be  justly  laid  against  him;  that 
fifteen  years  previously  he  had  been  converted,  but  had  since 
been  a  backslider,  yet  now  felt  that  he  was  forgiven,  and— 
though  the  halter  was  around  his  neck — he  would  not  ex- 
change places  with  any  man  on  the  gi-ound.  In  conclusion, 
he  referred  feelingly  to  his  wife  and  children,  saying:  "I 
entreat  that  no  reflection  may  be  cast  upon  them  on  my  ac- 
coimt ;  and,  if  possible,  shall  deem  it  as  a  bounty  should  you, 
gentlemen,  petition  the  Governor  and  Council  that  some  part 
of  my  estate  may  be  spared  for  the  widow  and  fatherless.  It 
will  be  an  act  of  charity;  for  I  have  forfeited  the  whole  by 
the  laws  of  God  and  man." 


148  GOVEENOR    TKYON 

Merrill  was  a  Baptist ;  and  the  old  Baptist  chronicler,  from 
whose  narrative  we  take  the  above,  says:  "All  pitied  him, 
and  blamed  the  wicked  Hunter,  Gelaspie,  Howell,  Husband, 
Bntler,  and  others  who  deceived  and  seduced  him."* 

(^i]itain  ilerrill's  dying  request  for  the  restoration  of  his 
property  to  his  family  was  fomvarded  to  the  King  by  Gov- 
ernor Tryon,  who  wrote  Lord  Secretary  Hillsborough  a  letter, 
from  which  we  take  the  following:  "Benjamin  Merrill,  a  Cap- 
tain of  Militia,  at  the  hour  of  his  execution,  left  it  in  charge 
to  the  officers  to  solicit  me  to  petition  His  Majesty  to  grant 
his  plantation  and  estate  to  his  wiie  and  eight  children.  He 
died  imdcr  a  thorough  conviction  of  his  crime  and  the  justice 
of  his  sentence,  and  addressed  himself  to  the  spectators  to  take 
warning  by  his  suffering.  His  Majesty's  indulgence  to  this 
request  would,  I  am  persuaded,  be  dutifully  and  affection- 
ately received  by  his  unhappy  widow  and  children."  This 
restitution  was  accordingly  made  in  pursuance  of  an  order 
transmitted  to  Governor  Martin  by  T^ird  Ilillslwrough,  who 
said:  "In  the  last  letter  I  received  from  Mr.  Tryon  relative 
to  the  affairs  in  North  Carolina,  and  which  is  dated  from 
New  York,  he  expressed  a  wish  that  the  plantation  and  estate 
of  Benjamin  Merrill,  a  Captain  of  Militia,  and  who  was  one 
of  the  six  rebels  executed  on  the  llHli  of  June,  may  be  granted 
to  his  wife  and  the  eight  children  he  left  behind  him,  and  I 
have  it  in  command  from  the  King  to  signify  to  you  His 
Majesty's  ])leasure  that  you  do  accordingly  take  the  proper 
measures  that  whatever  property,  belonging  to  tlml  iinhajipy 
person,  became  forfeited  to  the  Crown  by  his  ainviction, 
should  be  regranted  to  his  widow  and  children. "f 

"  Morgan  Edwards,  quoted  in  David  Benedict's  History  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in 
America  (rditiori  of  1813).  Vol.  U,  pp.  117-U8. 
t  Colonial  Itecords  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI.  p.  6.50;  Ibid..  Vol.  IX,  pp.  65-66. 


OF    NOETII    CAROLINA.  149 

111  the  Life  of  Caldwell  *  by  Caruthers,  there  is  an  affect- 
ing tale  from  a  Tennessee  newsjiaper,  in  which  a  writer  gives 
an  aeeouiit  of  the  death  f>f  Captain  Messer.  Bnt  in  justice 
to  Doctor  Canithers  it  shonld  be  observed  tliat  he  says  he 
never  heard  of  it  from  any  source  other  than  the  one  quoted. 
This  is  to  the  effect  that  when  Messer  was  about  to  be  hanged 
on  the  day  after  the  battle,  one  of  his  children  went  to  Tryon 
and  asked  to  lie  lianged  in  the  place  of  his  father.  ''Wlio 
told  you  to  say  that  ?"  asked  the  Governor.  "No  one,"  re- 
plied the  child.  "Then  why  do  you  ask  ?"  continued  Tryon. 
"Because,"  was  the  answer,  "if  you  hang  my  father,  my 
mother  and  her  children  will  starve."  Then  the  account  goes 
on  to  tell  how  the  heart  of  the  wicked  Tryon  was  momentarily 
softened,  and  that  Messer  was  not  hanged  that  day,  but  after- 
wards released  and  sent  to  take  Hermon  Husband — the  re- 
ward of  which  service  should  be  a  pardon  to  the  captor ;  how 
Messer  failed  in  his  effort,  returned,  and  was  executed  with 
due  formality ;  and  how  the  little  boy  who  had  pleaded  for 
bis  father's  life  was  taken  away  by  the  Governor  to  act  as  his 
foot-page — \vith  the  addition  of  a  few  more  distressing  details 
which  it  is  not  necessary  here  to  repeat.  Altogether  it  makes 
a  very  dramatic  narrative,  but  the  probability  is  that  the 
"Mercer"  whom  Tryon  reported  in  the  list  of  those  who  were 
pardoned  was  none  other  than  this  Messer.  Mercer  and 
Messer  are  written  enough  alike  to  cause  a  mistake,  and  the 
latter  is  a  name  still  found  in  the  Piedmont  section  of  l^orth 
Carolina. 

Concerning  James  Pngh,  Caruthers  says:  "When  placed 
under  the  gallows,  he  appeared  perfectly  calm  and  composed ; 

•Life  of  Caldwell,  p.  166. 


150  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

told  them  that  he  had  long  been  ])repared  to  meet  his  God  in 
another  world ;  refused  to  make  any  acknowledgment  of  what 
he  had  done;  and  requested  of  the  Governor  permission  to 
address  the  people  for  one-half  hour  in  his  own  defence. 
Having  obtained  this  permission,  he  told  them  that  his  blood 
would  be  as  good  seed  sown  on  good  gTound,  which  would 
soon  produce  a  hundredfold ;  recapitulated  the  causes  of  the 
late  conflict ;  asserted  that  the  Eegulators  had  taken  the  life 
of  no  man  previous  to  the  battle,  nor  had  they  aimed  at  any- 
thing more  than  a  redress  of  their  gTievances;  charged  the 
Governor  with  having  brought  an  army  there  to  murder  the 
people  instead  of  taking  sides  witli  them  against  a  set  of  dis- 
honest officers ;  advised  him  to  put  away  his  comipt  clei-ks  and 
tax-gatherers,  and  be  a  friend  of  the  people  -whom  he  was 
appointed  to  govern ;  but  when  lie  told  him  that  his  friend 
CJolonel  Fanning  was  not  fit  for  the  oflSce  which  he  held,  he 
was  suddenly  intermpted ;  the  barrel  was  turned  over,  at 
the  instigation  of  Fanning,  and  he  was  launched  into  etei-nity 
before  he  liad  finished  his  speech,  and  before  the  half-hour 
which  had  been  promised  him  was  expired."* 

According  to  Caruthers,  nearly  everything  which  hap- 
pened to  the  Regulators  was  "at  the  instigation  of  Fanning." 
As  an  instigator,  the  bold,  bad  Colonel  seems  to  have  l>een 
quite  successful.  Gommentins:  upon  the  description  of  Pugh's 
execution  as  given  by  Doctor  Caruthers,  an  apt  comment  has 
been  made  as  follows :  "It  was  tlie  habit  of  those  at  the  ix>riod 
at  whicli  this  accoimt  was  written  (long  after  the  event,  and 
the  writer  depending  ujxm  tradition  or  rimior  for  his  facts), 
to  bring  Fanning  in,  as  the  suggesting  fiend  or  active  demon 

■  Life  of  Caldwell,  by  Caruthers.  p.  165. 


OF    NOETII    CAEOLINA.  151 

when  any  specially  dark  scenes  were  depicted.  In  the  first 
place,  Fanning  was  the  Colonel  in  charge  of  the  Orange  de- 
tachment, and  with  such  a  commander  as  Tryon,  a  thorough 
soldier  and  a  stickler  for  forms,  it  would  have  been  a  serious 
breach  of  military  discipline  for  him  to  leave  his  place  and 
communicate  with  the  Sheriff  of  the  county  who  had  the 
execution  in  charge.  This  Tryon  would  never  have  allowed. 
Again,  the  hanging  of  these  men  was  not  a  lynching.  They 
were  executed  in  due  form  of  law.  They  were  drawn  to  the 
place  of  execution  in  carts  or  wagons,  of  which  there  were 
many  with  the  army,  and  if  any  improvised  platform  was 
needed  one  of  these  was  used.  The  probabilities,  then,  are 
all  against  the  use  of  as  crude  a  means  as  a  barrel,  particularly 
as  Tryon,  if  not  present  at  the  execution,  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  all  the  preliminaries."* 

In  pronouncing  sentence  upon  each  of  the  condemned  in- 
surgents. Chief  Justice  Howard  used  the  form  prescribed  by 
the  laws  of  England  in  cases  of  treason,  to-wit,  that  the  pris- 
oner should  be  carried  to  the  place  from  whence  he  came; 
that  he  should  be  dra-wni  from  thence  to  the  place  of  execution, 
and  hanged  by  the  neck ;  that  he  should  be  cut  down  while  yet 
alive ;  that  his  bowels  should  be  taken  out  and  burned  before 
his  face ;  that  his  head  should  be  cut  off ;  and  that  his  body 
be  divided  into  four  quarters,  which  were  to  be  placed  at  the 
King's  disposal.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  blood-curd- 
ling details  of  these  sentences  were  never  carried  out.  Yet 
in  New  England,  where  there  had  also  been  some  troubles 
with  the  authorities,  the  newspapers  seized  upon  the  matter 

'Hillsboro:  Colonial  and  Revolutionary,  by  Francis  Nash,  p.  25. 


152  GOVEENOE    TETON 

for  effect.*  One  of  these  papers,  the  Massachusetts  Spy, 
contained  articles  signed  "Leonidas"  and  "Mucins  Seasvola," 
which  were  published  after  Tryon  went  to  New  York.  The 
people  of  New  Bern  seem  to  have  been  greatly  incensed  at 
this  attack  on  their  former  Governor,  and  held  an  indigna- 
tion meeting  which  ordered  the  offending  periodical  to  be 
publicly  burned  by  the  common  hangman,  f  Then  the  meet- 
ing proceeded  to  pass  resolutions,  reading  a  stately  lecture  to 
the  editor  (editors  were  called  printers  in  those  days),  in 
which  it  was  said :  "It  is  certainly  difficult  to  conceive  to  what 
a  degree  of  iniquity  a  man  may  arrive,  who,  like  Leonidas, 
has  the  effrontery  to  set  truth  and  decency  at  defiance;  and 
you,  Mr.  Printer,  in  undertaking  to  be  the  publisher  of  such 
vile  calumnies,  fall  little  short  of  him  in  point  of  guilt.  Be 
it  known  to  him,  and  to  you,  sir,  that  the  beloved  memory  of 
Governor  Tryon  is,  and  will  continue  to  be,  deeply  impressed 
on  our  grateful  hearts,  and  we  trust  will  be  transmitted  by 
us  to  our  latest  posterity;  while  the  stigmatized  name  or 
Leonidas,  and  yours,  Mr.  Printer,  will  be  consigned  to  that 
infamy  justly  attendant  on  such  egi-egious  calumniators." 

Then  follows  a  defense  of  Tryon's  campaign  against  the 
Regulators.  This  says  of  the  course  pursued  by  him  on  that 
occasion :  "His  Excellency  tried  every  expedient  that  human 
prudence  could  suggest  to  prevail  on  the  miscreants  to  lay 
down  their  arms,  take  the  oaths  to  government,  and  surren- 
der up  to  public  justice  their  outlawed  chiefs,  promising 
them  upon  such  easy  terms  His  Majesty's  most  gracious 
pardon  for  all  their  past  numerous  transgressions;  but  they 
rejected  his  offers  with  contempt     Nay,  some  of  the  auda- 

•Account  of  the  Regulation,  by  Dr.  J.  S.  Bassett,  in  Report  of  the  American  Historical 
Association  for  1894.  p.  209. 
tColonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X,  pp.  1019-1024. 


OF    NORTJI    CAKOLINA.  153 

cioiis  wretches  cried  out  to  his  troops :  'Fire  and  be  damned  !' 
Others  exclaimed :  'Here's  death  in  one  hand,  and  no  mercy 
in  the  other  !  Battle !  Battle !'  He  then  directed  the  Sheriff 
to  order  them  to  disperse,  agreeable  to  the  riot  act,  which  the 
Sheriff  did,  but  to  no  purpose.  Yet  still  he  forebore  attack- 
ing them,  till  the  hour  allowed  in  such  cases  by  the  said  act 
was  expired ;  and  even  then  he  sent  an  express  messenger 
to  inform  them  that  the  hour  was  elapsed,  requiring  them 
once  more  to  lay  down  their  arms  and  submit  to  the  govern- 
ment— declaring  that,  in  case  of  their  refusal,  he  would, 
without  further  delay,  fire  upon  them ;  but  they  spurned  his 
threats  and  contemned  his  admonitions,  still  crying  out : 
'Battle !  Battle !'  In  such  situation,  what  could  or  ought 
His  Excellency  do  but  perform  his  duty  (which  he  most 
gallantly  did)  as  a  brave  and  experienced  ofBcer,  by  reducing 
to  reason  and  proper  submission  a  parcel  of  abandoned  prof- 
ligates, who  seemed  to  set  all  laws,  divine  and  human,  at 
defiance,  and  were  overrunning  the  country  with  every  species 
of  rapine  and  violence.  Yet  these  are  the  men  of  whom 
Leonidas  and  Mucins  Sccevola,  and  their  partisans,  are  advo- 
cates ;  and  dare,  in  their  behalf,  to  attack  and  traduce  one  of 
the  brightest  characters  on  this  continent." 

This  stinging  rebuke  to  "Mr.  Printer"  declared,  in  con- 
clusion, that  a  sight  of  the  resolutions  passed  should  shock 
his  guilty  soul  and  force  him  to  curse  the  day  he  unhappily 
imdertook  to  make  his  paper  the  infamous  vehicle  of  svich  a 
detestable  slander ;  while  "Leonidas"  and  "Mucins  Scasvola" 
were  admonished  to  pacify  the  Divine  vengeance  for  their 
awful  crime  by  imfeig-ned  repentance  and  "pxiblicly  asking 
pardon  of  God  and  the  world,  and  of  His  Excellency  Gov- 
ernor Tryon  in  particular." 


154r  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

Of  the  letter  signed  "Lconidas,"  Dr.  Samuel  Cooper,  of 
Boston,  was  supposed  to  have  been  the  author.  This  we 
learn  from  the  diai-y  of  Josiah  Quincy,  junior,  who  visited 
North  Carolina  in  1773. 

It  was  while  with  his  troops  at  Hillsborough,  in  1771,  that 
Tryon  received  intelligence  that  he  had  been  appointed  Gov- 
ernor of  New  York.  Accordingly  he  left  his  army  on  the 
21st  of  June,  and  returned  to  New  Bern  (reaching  there  the 
24th)  to  make  his  preparations  for  departure.*  Before  leav- 
ing the  army,  it  was  drawn  up  in  two  long  columns,  facing 
inward,  and  through  these  lines  the  Governor  rode,  "taking 
an  affectionate  and  painful  leave  of  those  brave  men,  through 
whose  spirit,  obedience  and  attachment  he  had  surmounted 
all  his  difficulties."  His  "After  Orders,"  for  the  disposition 
of  his  army,  were  as  follows : 

"His  Excellency  having  received  at  Hillsborough  camp  His 
Majesty's  commands  to  repair  immediately  to  New  York  to 
take  upon  him  the  government  of  that  province,  he  cannot 
quit  this  army  without  a  particular  and  sincere  acknowledg- 
ment to  the  officers  and  men  for  the  steady  and  uniform  con- 
duct they  have  observed  throughout  the  campaign.  He  will 
embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  represent  to  His  Majesty 
the  important  services  that  through  their  zeal  and  bravery 
they  have  rendered  to  their  King  and  country. 

"Colonel  Ashe  will  take  command  of  the  army  and  march 
with  them  to  Colonel  Bryan's  (excepting  the  Wake  detach- 
ment, which  will  be  discharged  at  Hunter's),  from  whence 
the  several  detachments  will  march  under  the  command  of 
their  respective  commanding  othccrs  to  their  particular  coun- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI.  pp.  650.  675;  Ibid.,  Vol.  XIX.  pp.  853.  864. 


OF    NOKTII    CAROLINA.  155 

ties  and  be  there  discharged.  The  Commissary  will  supply 
the  anny  with  provisions  as  usual  until  they  get  to  Colonel 
Bryan's  and  then  furnish  the  commanding  officers  of  the 
several  detachments  with  a  sufficient  quantity  to  serve  them 
to  their  respective  homes.  The  whole  of  tlie  artillery  and 
ammunition  to  be  escorted  from  Colonel  Bryan's  to  New 
Bern  by  the.  detachment  under  the  coimnand  of  Colonel 
Leech." 

Probably  the  most  laughable  mishap  which  occurred  dur- 
ing Tryon's  campaign  was  near  the  Yadkin  river,  after  the 
battle.*  It  seems  that  several  hundred  horses  were  turned 
loose  at  night  to  gi-aze,  each  having  tied  to  his  neck  a  bell, 
intended  to  aid  in  finding  any  which  might  stray.  Near 
their  pasture  was  a  garden  containing  some  bee-hives,  from 
which  several  soldiers  attempted  to  steal  honey.  In  the  dark- 
ness the  hives  were  overturned  and  the  bees  began  stinging 
the  horses,  which  thereupon  set  out  at  a  full  gallop  for  the 
near-by  camp,  demolishing  fences  as  they  went,  and  carry- 
ing with  them  their  hundreds  of  discordant  bells,  which 
made  night  hideous.  The  outer  sentinels  at  once  fired  their 
pieces,  and  the  cry  to  arms  rang  through  camp,  for  it 
seemed  that  all  the  Kegiilators  in  Carolina  had  joined  in 
this  furious  night  attack.  But  soon  the  cause  of  the  dis- 
turbance became  known,  and  quiet  reigned  once  more. 

After  Tryon  left  North  Carolina  and  had  been  installed 
as  Governor  of  New  York,  Judge  Maurice  Moore  fired  a 
farewell  shot  at  him,  under  the  pseudonym  of  "Atticus,"  in 
a  letter  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy : 

•state  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  XIX,  p.  S49. 


156  GOVEKNOK    TRYON 

To  His  Excellency  William  Tryon,  Esquire. 

1  am  too  well  acquainted  with  your  character  to  suppose  you  can 
bear  to  be  told  of  your  faults  witli  temper.  You  are  too  much  of  the 
soldier,  and  too  little  of  the  philosopher,  for  reprehension.  With  this 
opinion  of  Your  Excellency,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  letter  will 
be  more  serviceable  to  the  province  of  New  York,  than  useful  or  enter- 
taining to  its  governor. 

Tlie  beginning  of  your  administration  in  tliis  province  was  marked 
with  oppression  and  distress  to  its  inhabitants.  These,  sir,  I  do  not 
place  to  your  account;  they  are  derived  from  higher  authority  than 
yours.  You  were,  however,  a  dull,  yet  willing  instrument,  in  the  hands' 
of  the  British  ministiy,  to  promote  the  means  of  both.  Y'ou  called  to- 
gether some  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  your  neighbourhood,  and  in  a 
strange,  inverted,  self-afi'ecting  speech,  told  them  you  had  left  j-our  native 
country,  friends,  and  connexions,  and  taken  upon  yourself  the  government 
of  North  Carolina  with  no  other  view  than  to  serve  it.  In  the  next 
breath,  sir,  you  advised  them  to  submit  to  the  Stamp  Act,  and  become 
slaves.  How  could  you  reconcile  such  baneful  advice  with  such  friendly 
professions?  But,  sir,  self-contradictions  with  you  have  not  been  con- 
fined to  words  only;  they  have  been  equally  extended  to  actions.  On 
other  occasions  you  have  played  the  governor  with  an  air  of  greater  dig- 
nity and  importance  than  any  of  your  predecessors;  on  this,  Your 
Excellency  was  meanly  content  to  solicit  the  currency  of  stamped  paper 
in  private  companies.  But,  alas!  ministerial  approbation  is  the  first 
wish  of  your  heart;  it  is  the  best  security  you  have  for  your  office. 
Engaged  as  you  were  in  this  disgraceful  negotiation,  the  more  impor- 
tant duties  of  the  governor  were  forgotten,  or  wilfully  neglected.  In 
murmuring,  discontent,  and  public  confusion,  you  left  the  colony  com- 
mitted to  j'our  care,  for  near  eighteen  months  together,  without  calling 
an  assembly.  The  Stamp  Act  repealed,  you  called  one;  and  a  fatal  one  it 
was!  Under  every  influence  your  character  afforded  you,  at  this  as- 
sembly, was  laid  the  foundation  of  all  the  mischief  which  has  since 
befallen  this  unhappy  province.  A  grant  was  made  to  the  Crown  of 
live  thousands  pounds,  to  erect  a  house  for  the  residence  of  a  governor; 
and  you,  sir,  were  solely  entrusted  with  the  manugeini'iit,  of  it.  The 
infant  and  impoverished  state  of  this  country  could  not  alVord  to  make 
such  a  grant,  and  it  was  your  duty  to  have  been  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances  of  the  colony  you  governed.     This  trust  proved  eipially 


OF    NOETII    CAEOLINA.  157 

fatal  to  the  interest  of  the  province  and  to  Your  Excellency's  honour. 
You  made  use  of  it,  sir,  to  gratify  your  vanity,  at  the  expense  of  both. 
It  at  once  afforded  you  an  opportunity  for  leaving  an  elegant  monument 
of  your  taste  in  building  beliind  you,  and  giving  the  ministry  an  in- 
stance of  your  great  influence  and  address  in  your  new  government. 
You,  therefore,  regardless  of  every  moral,  as  well  as  legal  obligation, 
changed  the  plan  of  a  province-house  for  that  of  a  palace,  worthy  the 
residence  of  a  prince  of  the  blood,  and  augmented  the  expense  to  fifteen 
thousand  pounds.  Here,  sir,  you  betrayed  your  trust,  disgracefully  to 
the  governor,  and  dishonourably  to  the  man.  This  liberal  and  ingen- 
ious stroke  in  politics,  may,  for  all  I  know,  have  promoted  you  to  the 
government  of  New  York.  Promotion  may  have  been  the  reward  of 
such  sort  of  merit.  Be  this  as  it  may,  you  reduced  the  next  assembly 
you  met  to  the  unjust  alternative  of  granting  ten  thousand  pounds 
more,  or  sinking  the  five  thousand  they  liad  already  granted.  They 
chose  the  former.  It  was  most  pleasing  to  the  governor,  but  directly 
contrary  to  the  sense  of  their  con.stituents.  This  public  imposition  upon 
a  people,  who,  from  poverty,  were  hardly  able  to  pay  the  necessary  ex- 
penses of  government,  occasioned  general  discontent,  which  Y'our  Ex- 
cellency, with  wonderful  address,  improved  into  a  civil  war. 

In  a  colony  without  money,  and  among  a  people  almost  desperate  with 
distress,  public  profusion  should  liave  been  carefully  avoided;  but  un- 
fortunately for  the  country,  you  were  bred  a  soldier,  and  have  a  natural, 
as  well  as  acquired  fondness  for  military  parade.  You  were  entrusted 
to  run  a  Cherokee  boundary  about  ninety  miles  in  length;  this  little 
service  at  once  afforded  you  an  opportunity  of  exercising  your  military 
talents,  and  making  a  splendid  exhibition  of  yourself  to  the  Indians. 
To  a  gentleman  of  Your  Excellency's  turn  of  mind,  this  was  no  un- 
pleaslng  prospect;  you  marched  to  perform  it,  in  a  time  of  profound 
peace,  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  militia,  in  all  the  pomp  of  war,  and 
returned  with  the  honourable  title,  conferred  on  you  by  the  Cherokees, 
of  Great  Wolf  of  North  Carolina.  Tiiis  line  of  marked  trees,  and  Your 
Excellency's  prophetic  title,  cost  the  province  a  greater  sum  than  two 
pence  a  head,  on  all  the  taxable  persons  in  it  for  one  year,  would  pay. 

Your  next  expedition,  sir,  was  a  more  important  one.  Four  or  five 
hundred  ignorant  people,  who  called  themselves  Regulators,  took  it  into 
their  heads  to  quarrel  with  their  representative,  a  gentleman  honoured 
with  Your  Excellency's  esteem.     They  foolishly  charged  him  with  every 


158  GOVERNOE    TEYON 

distress  they  felt;  and,  in  revenge,  shot  two  or  three  musket  balls 
through  his  house.  They  at  the  same  time  rescued  a  horse  which  had 
been  seized  for  the  public  tax.  These  crimes  were  punishable  in  the 
courts  of  law,  and  at  that  time  the  criminals  were  amenable  to  legal 
process.  Your  Excellency  and  your  confidential  friends,  it  seems,  were 
of  a  different  opinion.  All  your  duty  could  possibly  require  of  you  on 
this  occasion,  if  it  required  anything  at  all,  was  to  direct  a  prosecu- 
tion against  the  offenders.  You  should  have  carefully  avoided  becom- 
ing a  party  in  the  dispute.  But,  sir,  your  genius  could  not  lie  still ;  you 
enlisted  yourself  a  volunteer  in  this  service,  and  entered  into  a  nego- 
tiation with  the  Regulators  which  at  once  disgraced  you  and  en- 
couraged them.  They  despised  the  governor  who  had  degraded  his  own 
character  by  taking  a  part  in  a  private  quarrel,  and  insulted  the  man 
whom  they  considered  as  personally  their  enemy.  The  terms  of  accom- 
modation Your  Excellency  had  offered  them  were  treated  with  con- 
tempt. What  they  were,  I  never  knew.  They  could  not  have  related 
to  public  offences;  these  belong  to  another  jurisdiction.  All  hopes  of 
settling  the  mighty  contest  by  treaty  ceasing,  you  prepared  to  decide  it 
by  means  more  agreeable  to  your  martial  disposition,  an  appeal  to  the 
sword.  You  took  the  field  in  September,  1768,  at  the  head  of  ten  or 
twelve  hundred  men,  and  published  an  oral  manifesto,  the  substance  of 
which  was  that  you  had  taken  up  arms  to  protect  a  superior  court  of 
justice  from  insult.  Permit  me  here  to  ask  you,  sir,  why  you  were  ap- 
prehensive for  the  court?  Was  the  court  apprehensive  for  itself? 
Did  the  judges  or  the  attorney  general  address  Y'our  E.xeellency  for  pro- 
tection? So  far  from  it,  sir,  if  these  gentlemen  are  to  be  believed,  they 
never  entertained  the  least  suspicion  of  any  insult,  unless  it  was  that 
whicli  they  afterwards  experienced  from  the  undue  influence  you  offered 
to  extend  to  them,  and  the  military  display  of  drums,  colours,  and 
guards,  vnth  which  they  were  surrounded  and  disturbed.  How  fully 
has  your  conduct,  on  a  like  occasion  since,  testified  that  you  acted  in 
this  instance  from  passion,  and  not  from  principle!  In  September, 
1770,  the  Regulators  forcibly  obstructed  the  proceedings  of  Hillsborough 
Superior  Court,  obliged  the  ollicers  to  leave  it,  and  blotted  out  the  re- 
cords. A  little  before  the  next  term,  wlien  their  contempt  of  coiirls 
was  suUicieutly  proved,  you  wrote  an  insoh-nt  letter  to  the  judges  and 
attorney  general,  commanding  tliem  to  attend  it.  Why  did  you  not  protect 
tlie  court  at  this  time?     Vou  will  blush  at  the  answer,  sir.     The  conduct 


OF    NOETJI    CAKOLINA.  159 

of  the  Regulators  at  the  preceding  term  made  it  more  than  prohable 
that  these  gentlemen  would  be  insulted  at  this,  and  j'ou  were  not  unwill- 
ing to  sacrifice  them  to  increase  the  guilt  of  your  enemies. 

Your  Excellency  said  that  you  had  armed  to  protect  a  court.  Had  you 
said  to  revenge  the  insult  you  and  your  friends  had  received,  it  would 
have  been  generally  credited  in  this  country.  The  men,  for  the  trial 
of  whom  the  court  was  thus  extravagantly  protected,  of  their  own  ac- 
cord squeezed  through  a  crowd  of  soldiers  and  surrendered  themselves, 
as  they  were  bound  to  do  by  their  recognizances. 

Some  of  these  people  were  convicted,  fined,  and  imprisoned;  which 
put  an  end  to  a  piece  of  knight-errantry,  equally  aggravating  to  the 
populace  and  burthensome  to  the  country.  On  this  occasion,  sir,  you 
were  alike  successful  in  the  diffusion  of  a  military  spirit  through  the 
colony  and  in  the  warlike  exhibition  you  set  before  the  public;  you  at 
once  disposed  the  vulgar  to  hostilities,  and  proved  the  legality  of  arm- 
ing, in  cases  of  dispute,  by  example.  Thus  warranted  by  precedent  and 
tempered  by  sympathy,  popular  discontent  soon  became  resentment  and 
opposition;  revenge  superseded  justice,  and  force  the  laws  of  the  coun- 
try; courts  of  law  were  treated  with  contempt,  and  government  itself 
set  at  defiance.  For  upwards  of  two  months  was  the  frontier  part  of 
the  country  left  in  a  state  of  perfect  anarchy.  Your  Excellency  then 
thought  lit  to  consult  the  representatives  of  the  people,  who  presented 
you  a  bill  which  you  passed  into  a  law.  The  design  of  this  act  was  to 
punish  past  riots  in  a  new  jurisdiction,  to  create  new  offences  and  to 
secure  the  collection  of  the  public  tax;  which,  ever  since  the  province 
had  been  saddled  with  a  palace,  the  Regulators  had  refused  to  pay. 
The  jurisdiction  for  holding  pleas  of  all  capital  offences  was,  by  a 
former  law,  confined  to  the  particular  district  in  which  they  were  com- 
mitted. This  act  did  not  change  that  jurisdiction;  yet  Your  Excel- 
lency, in  the  fullness  of  your  power,  established  a  new  one  for  the  trial 
of  such  crimes  in  a  different  district.  Whether  you  did  this  through 
ignorance  or  design  can  only  be  determined  in  your  own  breast;  it  was 
equally  violative  of  a  sacred  right,  every  British  subject  is  entitled  to, 
of  being  tried  by  his  neighbours,  and  a  positive  law  of  the  province  you 
yourself  had  ratified.  In  this  foreign  jurisdiction,  bills  of  indictment  were 
preferred  and  found,  as  well  for  felonies  as  riots,  against  a  number  of 
Regulators;  they  refused  to  surrender  themselves  within  the  time  limited 
by  the  riot  act,  and  Your  Excellency  opened  your  third  campaign.   These 


160  GOVERNOR    TEYON 

indictments  charged  the  crimes  to  have  been  committed  in  Orange 
county,  in  a  distinct  district  from  that  in  which  the  court  was  held. 
The  superior  court  law  prohibits  prosecution  for  capital  offences  in 
any  other  district  than  that  in  which  they  were  committed.  What  dis- 
tinctions the  gentlemen  of  the  long  robe  might  make  on  such  an  occasion, 
1  do  not  know;  but  it  appears  to  me  those  indictments  might  as  well  have 
been  found  in  Your  Excellency's  kitchen;  and  give  me  leave  to  tell  you, 
sir,  that  a  man  is  not  bound  to  answer  to  a  charge  that  a  court  has  no 
authority  to  make,  nor  doth  the  law  punish  a  neglect  to  perform 
that  which  it  does  not  command.  The  riot  act  declared  those  only 
outlawed  who  refused  to  answer  to  indictments  legally  found.  Those 
who  had  been  capitally  charged  were  illegally  indicted,  and  could  not  be 
outlaws;  yet  Your  Excellency  proceeded  against  them  as  such.  I  mean 
to  expose  your  blunders,  not  to  dofond  their  conduct;  that  was  as  inso- 
lent and  daring  as  the  desperate  state  your  administration  had  re- 
duced them  to  could  possibly  occasion.  I  am  willing  to  give  you  full 
credit  for  every  service  you  have  rendered  this  country.  Your  active 
and  gallant  behaviour,  in  extinguishing  the  flame  you  yourself  had 
kindled,  does  you  great  honour.  For  once  your  military  talents  were 
useful  to  the  province,  you  bravely  met  in  tlic  field,  and  \anq>iished,  an 
host  of  scoundrels  whom  you  had  made  intrepid  by  abuse.  It  seems 
difficult  to  determine,  sir,  whether  Your  Excellency  is  more  to  be  ad- 
mired for  your  skill  in  creating  the  cause,  or  your  bravery  in  suppress- 
ing the  effect.  This  single  action  would  have  blotted  out  forever  half 
the  e\Tls  of  your  administration;  but  alas,  sir,  the  conduct  of  the  general 
after  his  victory  was  more  disgraceful  to  the  hero  who  obtained  it  than 
that  of  the  man  before  it  had  been  to  the  governor.  Why  did  you  stain 
so  great  an  action  with  the  blood  of  a  prisoner  who  was  in  a  state  of  in- 
sanity? The  execution  of  James  Few  was  inhuman;  that  miserable 
wretch  was  entitled  to  life  till  nature,  or  the  laws  of  his  country,  de- 
prived him  of  it.  The  battle  of  the  Allemance  was  over;  the  soldier 
was  crowned  with  success,  and  the  peace  of  the  province  restored. 
There  was  no  necessity  for  the  infamous  example  of  an  arbitrary  execu- 
tion, without  judge  or  jury.  I  can  freely  forgive  you,  sir,  for  killing 
Robert  Thompson  at  the  beginning  of  the  battle;  he  was  your  prisoner, 
and  was  making  his  escape  to  fight  against  you.  The  laws  of  self- 
pre.servation  sanctioned  the  action,  and  justly  entitle  Your  Excellency  to 
an  act  of  indemnity. 


03?    NORTH    CAEOLINA.  161 

The  sacrifice  of  Few,  under  its  criminal  circumstances,  could  neither 
atone  for  Ids  crime  nor  abate  j-our  rage;  this  task  was  reserved  for  his 
unhappy  parents.  Your  vengeance,  sir,  in  this  instance,  it  seems, 
moved  in  a  retrograde  direction  to  that  proposed  in  the  second  com- 
mandment against  idolaters;  you  visited  the  sins  of  the  child  upon 
the  father,  and,  for  want  of  the  third  and  fourth  generation  to  extend 
it  to,  collaterally  divided  it  between  brothers  and  sisters.  The  heavy 
affliction,  with  which  the  untimely  death  of  a  son  had  burthened  his 
parents,  was  sufficient  to  have  cooled  the  resentment  of  any  man  whose 
heart  was  susceptible  of  the  feelings  of  humanity;  yours,  I  am  afraid, 
is  not  a  heart  of  tliat  kind.  If  it  is,  why  did  you  add  to  the  distresses 
of  that  family?  Why  refuse  the  petition  of  the  town  of  Hillsborough  in 
favour  of  them,  and  unrelentingly  destroy,  as  far  as  you  could,  the 
means  of  their  future  existence?  It  was  cruel,  sir,  and  unworthy  a 
soldier. 

Your  conduct  to  others  after  your  success,  whether  it  respected  person 
or  property,  was  as  lawless  as  it  was  unnecessarily  expensive  to  the 
colony.  When  Y'our  Excellency  had  exemplified  the  power  of  govern- 
ment in  the  death  of  a  hundred  Regulators,  the  survivors,  to  a  man,  be- 
came proselytes  to  government;  they  readily  swallowed  your  new- 
coined  oath,  to  be  obedient  to  the  laws  of  the  province,  and  to  pay  the 
public  taxes.  It  is  a  pity,  sir,  that,  in  devising  this  oath,  you  had  not 
attended  to  the  morals  of  those  people.  You  might  have  easily  re- 
strained every  criminal  inclination,  and  have  made  them  good  men,  as 
well  as  good  subjects.  The  battle  of  the  Allemance  had  equally  dis- 
posed them  to  moral  and  to  political  conversion;  there  was  no  necessity, 
sir,  when  the  people  were  reduced  to  obedience,  to  ravage  the  country 
or  to  insult  individuals. 

Had  Y'our  Excellency  nothing  el.se  in  view  than  to  enforce  a  sub- 
mission to  the  laws  of  the  country,  you  might  safely  have  disbanded 
the  army  within  ten  days  after  your  victory;  in  that  time  the  chiefs  of 
the  Regulators  were  run  away,  and  their  deluded  followers  had  returned 
to  their  homes.  Such  a  measure  would  have  saved  the  province  twenty 
thousand  pounds  at  least.  But,  sir,  you  had  farther  employment  for  the 
army;  you  were,  by  an  extraordinary  bustle  in  administering  oaths,  and 
disarming  the  country,  to  give  a  serious  appearance  of  rebellion  to  the 
outrage  of  a  mob ;  you  were  to  aggravate  the  importance  of  your  own  ser- 
vices by  changing  a  general  dislike  of  your  administration  into  disaffec- 


162  GOVEENOK    TKYON 

tion  to  His  Majesty's  person  and  government,  and  tlie  riotous  conduct, 
that  dislike  had  occasioned,  into  premeditated  rebellion.  This  scheme, 
sir,  is  really  an  ingenious  one;  if  it  succeeds,  you  may  possibly  be  re- 
warded for  your  serv'ices  with  the  honour  of  knighthood. 

From  the  16th  of  May  to  the  16th  of  June,  you  were  busy  in  securing 
the  allegiance  of  rioters,  and  le\'ying  contributions  of  beef  and  flour. 
You  occasionally  amused  yourself  with  burning  a  few  houses,  treading 
down  corn,  insulting  the  suspected,  and  holding  courts-martial.  These 
courts  took  cognizance  of  civil,  as  well  as  militaiy  offences,  and  even 
extended  their  jurisdiction  to  ill-brecding  and  want  of  good  manners. 
One  Johnston,  who  was  a  reputed  Regulator,  but  whose  greatest  crime,  I 
believe,  was  writing  an  impudent  letter  to  your  lady,  was  sentenced,  in 
one  of  these  military  courts,  to  receive  five  hundred  lashes,  and  re- 
ceived two  hundred  and  fifty  of  them  accordingly.  But,  sir,  however 
exceptionable  your  conduct  may  have  been  on  this  occasion,  it  bears  lit- 
tle projjortion  to  that  which  you  adopted  on  the  trial  of  the  prison- 
ers you  had  taken.  These  miserable  wretches  were  to  be  tried  for 
a  crime  made  capital  by  a  temporary  act  of  assembly,  of  twelve  months 
duration.  That  act  had,  in  great  tenderness  to  His  Majesty's  sub- 
jects, converted  riots  into  treasons.  A  rigorous  and  punctual  execution 
of  it  was  as  unjust  as  it  was  politically  unnecessary.  The  terror  of  the 
examples  now  proposed  to  be  made  under  it  was  to  expire,  with  the  law,  in 
less  than  nine  months  after.  The  sufferings  of  these  people  could  there- 
fore amount  to  little  more  than  mere  punishment  to  themselves.  Their 
ofl'ences  were  derived  from  public  and  from  private  impositions;  and 
they  were  the  followers,  not  the  leaders,  in  the  crimes  they  had  com- 
mitted. Never  were  criminals  more  justly  entitled  to  every  lenity  the 
law  could  afford  them;  but,  sir,  no  consideration  could  abate  your  zeal  in 
a  cause  you  had  transferred  from  yourself  to  your  sovereign.  You 
shamefully  exerted  every  influence  of  your  character  against  the  lives  of 
these  people.  As  soon  as  you  were  told  that  an  indulgence  of  one  day 
had  been  granted  by  the  court  to  two  men  to  send  for  witnesses,  who 
actually  established  their  innocence  and  saved  their  lives,  you  sent  an 
aide-de-camp  to  the  judges  and  attorney  general,  to  acquaint  them 
that  you  were  dissatisfied  with  the  inactivity  of  their  conduct,  and 
threatened  to  represent  them  unfavourably  in  England  if  they  did  not 
proceed  with  more  spirit  and  despatch.  Had  the  covirt  submitted  to  in- 
fluence, all  testimony  on  the  part  of  the  prisoners  would  have  been  ex- 


OF    NOETil    CAliOLINA.  163 

eluded;  they  must  have  been  condemned,  to  a  man.  You  said  that  your 
solicitude  for  the  condemnation  of  these  people  arose  from  your  desire 
of  manifesting  the  lenity  of  government  in  their  pardon.  How  have 
your  actions  contradicted  your  words !  Out  of  twelve  that  were  con- 
demned, the  lives  of  six  only  were  spared.  Do  you  know,  sir,  that  your 
lenity  on  this  occasion  was  less  than  that  of  the  bloody  JeHries  in  168-5 Y 
He  condemned  five  hundred  persons,  but  saved  the  lives  of  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy. 

In  the  execution  of  the  six  devoted  offenders,  Your  Excellency  was  as 
short  of  General  Kirk  in  form,  as  you  were  of  Judge  Jeffries  in  lenity. 
That  general  honoured  the  execution  he  had  the  charge  of  with  phiy  of 
pipes,  sound  of  tnunpets,  and  beat  of  drums;  you  were  content  with  the 
silent  display  of  colours  only.  The  disgraceful  part  you  acted  in  this 
ceremony,  of  pointing  out  the  sjjot  for  erecting  the  gallows,  and  clear- 
ing tlie  field  around  for  drawing  up  the  army  in  form,  has  left  a 
ridiculous  idea  of  your  character  behind  you,  which  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  that  of  a  busy  undertaker  at  a  funeral.  This  scene 
closed  Your  E.xeellency's  administration  in  this  country,  to  the  great 
joy  of  every  man  in  it,  a  few  of  your  own  contemptible  tools  only  ex- 
cepted. 

Were  I  personally  Your  Excellency's  enemy,  I  would  follow  you  into 
the  shade  of  life,  and  show  you  equally  the  object  of  pity  and  contempt 
to  the  wise  and  serious,  and  of  jest  and  ridicule  to  the  ludicrous  and 
sarcastic.  Truly  pitiable,  sir,  is  the  pale  and  trembling  impatience  of 
your  temper.  No  character,  however  distingiiished  for  wisdom  and  vir- 
tue, can  sanctify  the  least  degree  of  contradiction  to  your  political  opin- 
ions. On  such  occasions,  sir,  in  a  rage,  you  renounce  the  character  of  a 
gentleman  and  precipitately  mark  the  most  exalted  merit  with  every 
disgrace  the  haughty  insolence  of  a  governor  can  inflict  upon  it.  To 
this  unhappy  temper,  sir,  may  be  ascribed  most  of  the  absurdities  of 
your  administration  in  this  country.  It  deprived  you  of  every  assistance 
men  of  spirit  and  abilities  could  have  given  you,  and  left  you,  with  all 
your  passions  and  inexperience  about  you,  to  blunder  through  the  du- 
ties of  your  office,  supported  and  approved  by  the  most  profound  ignor- 
ance and  abject  servility. 

Your  pride  has  often  exposed  you  to  ridicule,  as  the  rude  petulance  of 
your  disposition  has  to  contempt.  Your  solicitude  about  the  title  of 
Her  Excellency  for  Mrs.  Tryon,  and  the  arrogant  reception  you  gave  to 


164  GOVEKNOE    TEYON 

a  respectable  company  at  an  entertainment  of  your  own  making,  seated 
witli  your  lady  by  your  side  on  elbow-chairs,  in  the  middle  of  the  ball- 
room, bespeak  a  littleness  of  mind  which,  believe  me,  sir,  when  blended 
with  the  dignity  and  importance  of  your  office,  renders  you  truly  ridicu- 
lous. 

High  stations  have  often  proved  fatal  to  those  who  have  been  pro- 
moted to  them;  yours,  sir,  has  proved  so  to  you.  Had  you  been  con- 
tented to  pass  through  life  in  a  subordinate  military  character,  with 
the  private  virtues  you  have,  you  might  have  lived  serviceable  to  your 
country  and  reputable  to  yourself;  but,  sir,  when,  with  eveiy  disquali- 
fying circumstance,  you  took  upon  you  the  government  of  a  province, 
though  you  gratified  your  ambition,  you  made  a  sacrifice  of  yourself. 

Yours,  &c., 

Attictjs. 

In  caustic  style  and  elegant  invective  the  above  letter 
would  be  difficnlt  to  equal.  Yet  some  of  the  criticisms  come 
with  poor  grace  from  Judge  Moore.  The  act  he  ridicules  for 
converting  riots  into  treasons  was  passed  by  an  Assembly  in 
which  he  himself  was  a  leading  member ;  furthermore,  he 
was  chairman  of  a  legislative  committee  which  recommended 
measures  against  the  Regulators  "at  once  spirited  and  deci- 
sive," and  it  was  probably  this  recommendation  which  caused 
the  Johnston  Act  to  be  introduced  and  passed.*  The  same 
committee,  through  Chairman  Moore,  gave  voice  to  regrets 
nothing  short  of  lamentations  on  the  "afflicting  occasion"  of 
Tryon's  purposed  departure  from  the  province  in  1770,  de- 
plored the  "ill-fated  means"  which  would  cause  North  Caro- 
lina to  lose  his  services,  and  made  tlie  "warmest  return  of 
gratitude  and  respect"  for  the  "well-known  benevolence  of 
his  disposition  and  friendly  concern  for  tlie  welfare  of  man- 
kind." If  the  first  campaign  against  the  Regulators  were 
simply  a  costly  display  to  gi-atify  Tryon's  vanity — "a  piece 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIH.  pp.  311-313. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  165 

of  knight-errantry  equally  aggravating  to  the  populace  and 
burthensome  to  the  country" — it  is  strange  that  Mr.  Moore, 
in  his  military  capacity,  deemed  it  his  duty  to  go  into  that 
expedition.  He  was  an  officer  in  the  Governor's  army,  and 
could  not  have  been  ordered  out  against  his  will;  for,  as 
Tiyon  officially  announced  before  the  troops  at  Salisbury, 
only  volunteers  were  desired.  Concerning  the  disturbances 
of  1768,  he  tells  the  Governor:  "All  your  duty  could  possibly 
require  of  you  on  this  occasion,  if  it  required  anything  at  all, 
was  to  direct  a  prosecution  against  the  offenders."  Yet 
Orange  county  in  1768  was  far  more  turbulent  than  was 
Rowan  in  March,  1770,  when  Moore  complained  to  Tryon 
that  no  legal  process  of  any  kind  could  be  there  executed. 
And  if  the  Governor  were  a  bloody  Jeffries  for  allowing  to  be 
even  partly  carried  out  the  sentences  of  the  Court  assembled 
at  Hillsborough,  certainly  a  Justice  of  that  Court  should  be 
slow  to  cast  reproach  u^Mn  him  for  it.  But  when  Judge 
Moore,  in  this  "Atticus"  letter,  declared  that  he  could  freely 
forgive  the  Governor  for  killing  Robert  Thompson,  that  asser- 
tion no  doubt  came  with  all  sincerity  from  the  depths  of  his 
soul :  for  Mr.  Thompson  it  was  who  had  harangued  the  Regu- 
lators in  a  speech  wherein  he  denounced  Moore  as  a  rascal, 
rogiie,  villain,  and  a  scoundrel;  and  said  that,  while  acting 
as  Judge,  the  latter  had  attempted  to  cheat  him  out  of  his 
landed  possessions  for  the  benefit  of  a  counter-litigant  to 
whom  he  was  partial.*  And  this  Thompson,  by  the  bye,  who 
was  hand  in  glove  with  Regulators  of  the  most  rabid  variety — • 
men  who  openly  advocated  the  indiscriminate  assassination 
of  public  officials — this  Thompson  is  the  same  whose  blessed 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  VHI,  p.  520. 


166  GOVEENOK    TKYON 

memory  as  a  peace-maker  is  tluis  preserved  by  Doctor  Hawks 
in  an  accoimt  of  the  battle  of  Alamance:  "Among  other 
peaceful  men  who  passed  to  and  fro,  in  the  good  work  of  con- 
ciliation, was  Robert  Thompson,  a  man  deservedly  beloved 
and  respected  for  his  in-eproaehable  character.  He  was 
without  arms,  and  was  not  one  of  the  Regulators."* 

While  treating  of  the  War  of  the  Regulation,  it  may  be 
well  to  speak  of  three  aspects  which  thus  far  we  have  omitted 
to  mention:  first,  the  part  later  borne  in  the  Revolution  by 
the  men  who  fought  against  the  Regulators ;  second,  the  part 
borne  in  the  Revolution  by  the  Regulators  themselves ;  third, 
the  religious  character  of  those  engaged  in  the  revolts  of  1768 
and  1771. 

Tryon  himself  was  an  ardent  and  active  Royalist  in  the 
Revolution,  as  was  also  Edmund  Fanning;  and  almost  all 
members  of  the  Governor's  Council,  in  North  Carolina,  sym- 
pathized witli  Great  Britain.  With  these  exceptions,  nearly 
every  officer  of  note  in  the  army  under  Ti-yon,  at  Alamance, 
went  heart  and  soul  into  the  struggle  for  freedom  during  the 
Revolution ;  and,  were  the  names  of  this  galaxy  of  patriots 
omitted  from  the  annals  of  the  fight  for  indejjendence,  little 
material  would  be  left  for  the  historian  of  that  epoch  in 
North  Carolina.  Though  he  little  realized  it  at  the  time, 
Tryon  gave  practical  instruction  in  the  art  of  war  to  a  set 
of  apt  pupils  who  would  soon  make  use  of  their  knowledge  in 
a  way  not  much  to  his  liking.  One  of  these,  Robert  Howe, 
marched  at  the  head  of  a  Continental  Reaiment  in  December, 
1775,  to  the  assistance  of  Virginia,  aided  in  the  operations 
against  Lord  Dunmore  (though  too  late  for  the  fight  at  Great 

•  Hawks,  Graham,  and  Swain  Lectures  on  the  Revolutionary  History  of  North  Caro- 
lina, p.  33. 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA. 


167 


Bridge),  was  formally  thanked  for  his  services  by  the  Vir- 
ginia House  of  Burgesses,  and  afterwards  rose  to  the  rank 
of  Major-General  in  the  Continental  army ;  Francis  Nash, 
another  of  Tryon's  pupils,  became  a  Brigadier-General,  first 
served  against  Sir  Henry  Clinton  in  South  Carolina  and 
afterwards  joined  Washington,  under  whom  he  fell  while 
fighting  at  Gennantowu  in  1777 ;  James  Moore,  likewise  a 
Brigadier-General  of  Continentals,  was  a  splendid  type  of 
soldier,  whose  untimely  death  by  sickness,  early  in  the  war, 
lost  to  North  Carolina  a  patriotic  and  fearless  defender ;  John 
Walker,  whom  the  Regulators  treated  with  such  brutality, while 
a  prisoner,  distinguished  himself  as  an  officer  of  the  Line,  and 
was  an  aid-de-cami3  to  General  Washington ;  John  Baptista 
Ashe,  whom  the  Regulators  maltreated  with  Walker,  was  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel of  Continentals,  and  also  Governor-elect  at  the 
time  of  his  death ;  Thomas  Clark,  a  Brevet  Brigadier-General 
of  Continentals  in  the  Revolution,  had  also  served  imder  Tryon ; 
then  there  were  Generals  Griflith  Rutherford,  Alexander  Lil- 
lington,  John  Ashe,  and  Richard  Caswell,  all  of  whom  held 
commissions  in  either  the  State  or  the  Continental  forces. 
Caswell  was  likewise  Governor  during  the  war ;  as  also  were 
Abner  Nash,  and  Willie  Jones  (acting), while  Alexander  Mar- 
tin, whom  the  Regulators  "severely  whipped"  at  Hillsborough, 
was  Governor  for  several  terms,  besides  having  served  as  a 
Colonel  in  the  Continental  Line.  John  Patten,  whose  Beau- 
fort county  men  fought  so  desperately  at  Alamance,  entered 
the  American  army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  and 
remained  to  its  close  in  1783,  when  he  was  Colonel  of  the 
Second  Continental  Regiment.  In  the  years  l777-'78-'79 
he  was  in  the  principal  battles  fought  by  Washington  in  the 


1G8  GOVEENOK    TEYON 

North ;  and,  in  1780,  was  serving  under  General  Lincoln  in 
Charleston  when  that  city  was  beleaguered  and  captured  by 
Sir  Henry  Clinton.  For  some  time  after  that  he  was  a 
prisoner  of  war.  His  name  is  often  misspelled  Patton  in  the 
records. 

Besides  the  above  officers  of  Tryon's  army,  let  us  recall 
such  names  as  Polk,  Phifer,  and  Alexander  of  Mecklenburg; 
Hinton  of  Wake ;  Cogdell,  Bryan,  aiid  Leech  of  Craven ; 
Bryan  of  Johnston ;  Osborne,  Montgomery  and  Dobbins  of 
liowan ;  Clinton  of  Duplin ;  Hawkins  of  Bute ;  Fenuer  of 
Halifax;  Mebane,  Lytle,  and  Thackston  of  Orange;  Salter 
of  Pitt ;  Cray  of  Onslow ;  Spencer  of  Anson,  and  hosts  of 
others — all  these  aided  in  suppressing  the  mob  violence  aimed 
at  North  Carolina  by  the  Regulators;  and  these,  too,  again 
stood  by  the  old  State  in  her  hour  of  need,  when  those  selfsame 
Regulators  united  with  the  troops  of  King  George  in  endeav- 
oring to  effect  her  subjugation  in  the  dark  hours  of  the  Revo- 
lution. Besides  these  we  should  take  into  consideration  the 
civil  services  of  such  gi-eat  Revolutionary  patriots  as  William 
Hooper,  Cornelius  Harnett,  Samuel  Johnston,  and  others  of 
like  character,  who,  either  in  the  Assembly  or  in  the  courts, 
were  active  supporters  of  Tryon's  administration  when  it  was 
opposed  by  the  Regulators.  Even  the  idtra-democratic  John 
Harvey  seems  to  have  been  most  friendly  in  liis  disposition 
towards  the  Governor,*  though  many  times  has  his  name 
been  cited  by  historians  as  a  leader  of  opposition  to  govern- 
ment measures  during  the  insurrections  of  17C8-'71.  If  the 
Regulators  were  patriots,  and  Tryon,  while  operating  against 
them,  was  playing  the  part  of  a  tyrant,  tlien  the  above  men 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII.  pp.  C97-C98. 


or    NORTH    CAROLINA.  169 

were  either  the  tools  or  the  dupes  of  a  tyrant ;  and  Noiili 
Carolina  can  ill  afford  to  make  this  charge  against  her  brave 
sons  who,  during  seven  long  years,  fought,  starved,  and  shed 
their  blood  in  her  defense. 

While  the  above  names  are  being  recorded  a  feeling  of  sad- 
ness is  awakened  that  General  Hugh  Waddell  no  longer  figures 
in  our  narrative.  In  the  prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood,  yet 
old  in  the  school  of  war,  this  great  soldier  passed  away  in 

1773— 

"Like  a  summer-dried  fountain, 

When  our  need  was  the  sorest." 

In  the  French  and  Indian  War,  during  the  administration 
of  Governor  Dobbs,  he  had  served  with  great  distinction ;  had 
proved  his  devotion  to  ISTorth  Carolina  by  resisting  the  earlier 
parliamentary  encroachments  of  Great  Britain,  and  again 
by  volunteering  against  the  faction  which  destroyed  the  col- 
ony's domestic  tranquility :  yet  just  on  the  eve  of  the  Kevolu- 
tion,  when  his  splendid  talents  would  have  found  a  wider 
and  more  useful  field,  death  sounded  the  final  roll-call,  and 
his  long  service  was  at  an  end.  His  life  has  been  most 
fittingly  portrayed  in  a  volume  of  biography  which  is  the 
work  of  one  of  his  many  gifted  descendants.  Honorable 
Alfred  Moore  Waddell.  From  General  Waddell  also  sprang 
the  noted  North  Carolina  lawyer,  Hugh  Waddell,  and  Com- 
mander James  Iredell  Waddell,  an  officer  in  both  the  United 
States  and  Confederate  States  Navies,  whose  cruiser,  the 
Shenandoah,  was  the  only  vessel  which  ever  carried  the  flag 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy  around  the  world,  and  which, 
in  the  number  of  prizes  captured,  ranked  second  only  to  the 
far-famed  Alabama. 


170  GOVEBNOE    TEYON 

But,  calling  a  halt  on  this  digression,  we  miist  now  return 
to  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Regulators.  For  some  time 
after  they  were  routed  at  Alamance,  these  jiersons  were 
kept  busy  endeavoring  to  secure  pardons  for  their  partici- 
pation in  the  uprising.  "Either  through  friends  or  in  per- 
son," says  an  account  we  have  already  quoted,  ''Jeremiah 
Field,  Ninian  Bell  Hamilton,  Matthew  Hamilton,  James 
Hunter,  Thomas  Welborn,  William  Butler,  and  John  Fruit 
petitioned  the  Governor  for  pardon."*  To  do  Hunter  full 
justice,  however,  it  must  be  said  that  his  neighbors  were  far 
more  solicitous  for  his  safety  than  he  himself  was.  After  an 
absence  of  about  ten  months,  he  returned  to  his  old  home; 
and,  on  all  occasions,  appeared  in  public  as  if  he  had  nothing 
to  fear.  In  holy  horror,  on  March  8,  1772,  Governor  IMartin 
wrote  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough  that  it  was  with  the  utmost 
concern  that  he  had  the  honor  to  inform  His  Lordship  that 
Hunter,  the  outlawed  ring-leader  of  the  insurgents,  had  made 
his  appearance  publicly  at  the  Inferior  Court  lately  held  in 
Guilford  county,  and  that  the  magistrates,  sitting  in  their 
judicial  capacity,  and  armed  with  all  the  powers  of  the  laws, 
though  repeatedly  moved  to  order  him  to  be  apprehended, 
had  shamefully  suffered  him  to  brave  the  offended  justice 
of  his  coimtry  with  impunity,  and  to  depart  at  leisure  and 
without  notice.f  Later  in  this  letter,  Martin  says :  ''Hunter 
is  a  most  egregious  offender.  He  was  the  leader  of  the 
insurgents  in  arms,  was  called  their  general,  and  has  ap- 
peared from  the  beginning  a  ring-leader  in  sedition.  He 
is  said  to  have  a  better  capacity  than  his  associates,  who 

*  Account  of  the  Regulation,  by  Dr.  J.  S.  Bassett,  in  Report  of  the  American  Historical 
Association  for  1S9-1.  p.  207  (citing  authorities), 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  IX.  pp.  268-269. 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLINA. 


171 


pay  him  implicit  obedience  and  treat  liim  with  a  respect 
savouring-  of  enthusiastic  reverence.  He  received,  among 
other  of  these  gi-aceless  wretches,  the  King's  pardon  for  trea- 
sons and  violences  committed  in  the  year  1768  ;  and  yet  seems, 
like  them,  hardened  rather  than  reclaimed,  by  His  Majesty's 
most  gi-acious  indulgence."  Hunter  not  only  had  the  temer- 
ity to  appear  at  court,  but  he  also  appeared  in  person  before 
Governor  Martin  himself,  when  the  latter  passed  through 
Guilford  county  in  1772.*  Along  with  some  otber  Regu- 
lators, he  visited  His  Excellency  to  apply  for  a  pardon, 
and  seems  to  have  made  quite  an  impression  upon  the  there- 
tofore irate  Chief  Executive.  Somewhat  more  moderate  is 
a  second  letter  from  Martin  to  Lord  Hillsborough,  giving  an 
accoimt  of  the  interview,  which  says  that  he  reprehended 
Hunter  for  his  defiance  of  a  Court  of  Justice  by  appearing 
in  the  face  of  it,  while  he  stood  in  so  criminal  a  state,  with 
any  other  design  than  to  render  himself  up.  To  this  reproof, 
says  Martin,  Hunter  submissively  replied  that,  if  he  had 
offended  by  so  doing,  it  was  innocently  and  ignorantly,  and 
that  he  heartily  asked  pardon  for  it.  After  his  observations 
concerning  Hunter,  Goveimor  Martin  sets  forth  a  scathing 
arraignment  of  the  county  oflicers,  saying  that  his  progress 
through  the  scenes  of  the  recent  disturbances  had  completely 
opened  his  eyes  with  reference  to  the  ills  to  which  the  people 
had  recently  been  subjected — that  now  he  could  clearly  see 
that  they  had  been  provoked  by  the  insolence  and  oppression 
of  a  set  of  mercenary  attorneys,  clerks  and  other  petty  officers, 
who  first  brought  down  upon  themselves  the  resentment  of 
the  inhabitants,  and  then  worked  up  the  government  in  their 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  IX.  pp.  313.  329. 


172  GOVEENOE    TEYON 

own  defense  by  representing  that  the  vengeance  which  the 
wretched  people,  in  folly  and  madness,  aimed  at  their  oppres- 
sors, was  directed  against  the  constitution  or  government  itself. 
Martin  adds  that  since  becoming  acquainted  with  the  barba- 
rism and  profound  igiiorance  of  these  oppressed  and  wretched 
people,  all  of  his  indigiiation  had  been  melted  into  pity. 

In  December,  1771,  the  Assembly  petitioned  Governor 
Martin  to  grant  a  general  pardon  to  all  persons  concerned  in 
the  recent  insun-ection,  except  Hemion  Husband,  Eednap 
Howell,  and  William  Butler,  whose  crimes  the  petitioners 
declared  were  too  atrocious  to  merit  any  degi'ee  of  lenity. 
This  pardon  would  cover  many  exceptions  at  first  made, 
including  James  Hunter  (who  commanded  the  Regulators  at 
Alamance  after  Husband's  flight),  and  also  the  nine  men 
engaged  in  the  "gimpowder  plot,"  by  which  General  Waddell's 
anmiunition  was  destroyed.  Colonel  Moses  Alexander,  of 
Mecklenburg,  had  interested  himself  in  behalf  of  those  last 
mentioned,  who  were:  James  White,  junior,  James  Ashmore, 
Joshua  Hadley,  Robert  Davis,  Benjamin  Cochrane,  William 
White,  William  Wliite,  jimior,  John  White,  and  Robert 
Caruthers.  Though  willing  that  a  general  pardon  should 
issue.  Governor  Martin  did  not  think  he  had  power  to  gi-ant 
it,  but  laid  the  matter  before  the  home  government,  with  a 
recommendation  for  favorable  action.*  In  replj',  Lord  Hills- 
borough said  that  the  King  authorized  the  Provincial  Assem- 
bly to  pass  an  act  of  grace,  suspending  proceedings  till  His 
Majesty's  pleasure  should  be  known  to  the  contrary. 

To  what  has  boon  said  of  James  Himter,  some  additional 
remarks  may  be  made.     In  August,  1775,  it  was  rumored 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  IX.  pp.  57.  68-69.  98.  169.  172.  276. 


OF    NOETH    CAEOLINA.  173 

that  he  would  bring  an  aimed  force  against  the  Provincial 
Congress  at  Hillsborongh,  but  no  such  movement  was  at- 
tempted.* In  Febi-uary,  1776,  he  was  one  of  those  whom 
Governor  Martin  authorized  to  enlist  Loyalists  for  the  Cross 
Creek  rendezvous.  This,  in  itself,  would  not  stamp  Mr. 
Hunter  as  a  Tory ;  for,  in  the  same  manifesto  were  named 
several  prominent  Wliigs,  either  for  the  purpose  of  \vinning 
tliem  over  to  the  Eoyal  standard  or  injuring  their  influence 
with  the  Americans  by  exciting  suspicion  against  them. 
Hunter's  name,  however,  does  appear  along  with  that  of  Par- 
son Mieklejolm  and  others  of  the  same  vicinity,  in  a  list  of 
prisoners  paroled  by  the  Provincial  Congress  at  Halifax 
(April,  1776),  and  ordered  to  the  eastern  part  of  the  State, 
where  their  influence  would  not  be  felt.f  'Wliether  Hunter 
went,  however,  is  doubtful,  for,  ou  September  6,  1776,  he 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  ISTorth  Carolina.:]: 

It  had  doubtless  been  agreed  by  the  State  authorities  that 
Himter  should  be  allowed  to  remain  neutral;  for,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1780,  when  drafted  into  the  army,  he  refused  to 
sei-ve.  Thereupon  the  Sheriff  levied  uiwn  his  property ;  and, 
with  six  thousand  pounds  (in  the  plentiful  paper  currency 
of  that  day)  employed  a  substitute  to  act  in  his  stead.  At 
the  next  session  of  the  Assembly,  in  1781,  Hunter  peti- 
tioned for  redress,  which  was  gTanted  in  a  joint  resolution 
ordering  "that  the  Sheriff  of  Guilford  county  be  and  he  is 
hereby  directed  to  refund  to  James  Hunter,  of  said  county, 
all  the  effects  and  moneys  levied  upon  ******  fQj.  ^he 
purpose  of  hiring  a  substitute,"  etc.§ 

*  Life  and  Correspondence  of  James  Iredell,  Vol.  I,  pp.  261-262. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X,  p.  560. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X.  p.  826. 

§  State  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  XVII,  pp.  644.  726,  735. 


174  GOVEENOB    TRYON 

Hunter's  two  old  associates,  John  and  Daniel  Gillespie, 
rendered  the  State  faithful  service,  as  did  also  Thomas  Per- 
son, though  the  last  named  Regulator  was  not  among  those 
arrayed  at  Alamance.  Witli  these  exceptions,  nearly  all  the 
old  Regulators  who  later  engaged  in  the  Revolution  were 
Loyalists. 

Time  and  again  has  the  statement  been  made  that  the  Revo- 
lutionary patriot.  General  John  Butler,  of  North  Carolina, 
was  a  Regulator.  This  is  a  mistake,  prohahly  due  to  confus- 
ing his  name  with  that  of  his  brother  William.  The  latter 
was  a  Regulator  and  a  very  pronounced  one.  With  John, 
however,  the  case  was  different.  He  was  one  of  the  witnesses 
for  the  prosecution  when  the  Regulators  were  indicted  at 
New  Bern  ;*  and,  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Alamance,  we 
find  him  petitioning  for  the  pardon  of  his  brother,  as  one  who 
he  said  was  "very  sensible  of  his  folly,  and  who  sincerely 
promised  never  to  be  of  such  a  riotous  party  again. "f  Had 
John  been  a  Regulator,  it  is  probable  that  he  would  have 
realized  that  his  intercession  would  not  favorably  influence 
the  Governor.  William  Butler  himself  declared :  "It  is  with 
the  utmost  abhori-ence  that  I  reflect  on  the  proceedings  of  the 
people  formerly  called  Regiilators,  being  fiilly  convinced  that 
the  principles  which  they  espoused  are  erroneous,  and  there- 
fore most  sincerely  promise  never  to  engage  in  the  like  again." 
If  we  may  judge  by  the  wording  of  their  petitions,  all  the 
Regulators  were  penitent  enough  after  the  battle.  But  tlioy 
should  not  be  too  harshly  criticised  on  account  of  tliis  sudilcn 
change  of  front ;  for,  though  Satan  is  authority  for  the  state- 


•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VUI.  p.  532. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX.  pp.  99-100. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  175 

ment,  it  is  too  often  true  that  "all  that  a  man  hath  will  he 
give  for  his  life."  Then,  too,  the  fact  that  the  families  of 
many  were  reduced  to  want  by  their  absence,  no  doubt  had  a 
powerful  influence  in  bringing  the  Regulators  to  seek  pardon. 
This  is  sho-mi  by  many  of  their  petitions,  including  that  of 
William  Butler. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  the  Regulators  re- 
ceived all  sorts  of  pardons  from  all  sorts  of  sources — from  the 
King,  the  Royal  Governor,  and  the  rebel  Congresses  (both  Con- 
tinental and  Provincial).  Each  of  the  contending  countries 
was  graciously  moved  to  overlook  their  past  misconduct,  if 
they  would  only  prove  by  their  deeds  that  they  were  worthy  of 
forgiveness.  On  the  3d  of  May,  1775,  Lord  Dartmouth 
wrote  from  the  Court  of  St.  James  to  Governor  Martin  that 
the  addresses  to  the  King  from  the  North  Carolina  counties 
of  Guilford,  Dobbs,  Rowan  and  Surry,  breathed  such  loyalty 
and  attachment  to  Great  Britain  that  royal  clemency  would 
soon  be  extended  to  all  of  the  old  Regiilators  except  Hermon 
Husband.*  The  promised  pardon  was  later  issued  in  due 
form.  The  petition  from  Guilford,  mentioned  in  Dart- 
mouth's letter,  was  headed  by  the  name  of  John  Field,  and 
the  one  from  Rowan  and  Surry  (these  two  counties  jointly) 
by  Samuel  Bryan — both  Loyalists  in  the  Revolution,  and  one 
(Bryan)  sentenced  to  death  for  high  treason  in  1782,  though 
afterwards  pardoned  and  exchanged.  On  the  address  from 
Dobbs  county  the  name  of  Joseph  Taylor,  junior,  comes  first ; 
but  on  none  of  these  petitions  are  the  lists  of  subscribers  given. 
Dartmouth  also  said  in  his  letter  that,  if  war  came,  it  would 
be  politic  for  Governor  Martin  to  hold  out  encouragement  to 

"Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  1127.  1160,  1161.  1241. 


1Y6  GOVEKNOK    TEYON 

tlie  Regulators  by  issuing  military  commissions  to  the  lead- 
ing men  among  them.*  Before  receiving  this  communica- 
tion, Martin  had  written  His  Lordship  that  if  the  King  him- 
seK  pardoned  the  Regulators  it  would  have  a  better  effect  than 
if  he  allowed  the  North  Carolina  Assembly  to  do  so.  If  the 
Assembly  issued  the  pardon,  the  Governor  said,  it  would 
diminish  the  credit  which  would  go  to  the  Crown  in  conse- 
quence of  this  act  of  mag-nanimity.f  But  the  Whigs  of 
North  Carolina  were  bent  on  showing  the  Regulators  that  the 
King  was  not  the  only  pardon-granting  institution  in  exist- 
ence; so,  when  the  Provincial  Congi'ess  met  at  Hillsborough 
in  August,  1775,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  quiet  their 
fears  by  assuring  them  that  they  would  be  i^rotected  if  Great 
Britain  shoiild  attempt  to  harm  them.:};  Protection  promised 
from  such  a  source  against  such  a  power  as  the  forces  of  King 
George  no  doubt  seemed  ludicrous  in  the  extreme.  The  Con- 
tinental CongTess  later  employed  missionaries  to  ease  the 
"tender  consciences"  of  the  Regiilators  by  absolving  them 
from  their  allegiance.  On  the  above  committee  from  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress  at  Hillsborough  were  sevei-al  of  Tryon's  old 
officers  whom  the  Regulators  had  good  cause  to  hate — Maurice 
Moore,  Richard  Caswell,  and  others.  One  old  Regulator, 
Thomas  Person,  also  served  as  a  member  of  this  committee, 
but  was  in  a  hopeless  minority.  Had  lie  then  been  able  to 
engage  the  influence  of  James  Hunter  (who  later  came  over  to 
the  Auiei'iean  side),  and  that  of  a  few  other  loaders  of  the 
revolt  fit  1771,  tlic  movement  might  liavc  met  with  better  suc- 
cess.    As  it  was,  the  Regulators  pondered  a  while  over  their 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  IX,  p.  1241. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX.  p.  1268. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  X,  p.  1G9. 


OF    NOKTH    CAROLINA.  177 

embarrassment  of  riches,  in  the  way  of  pardons,  and  then 
came  to  the  ■worldly-wise  conchision  that  the  battle  would  be 
won  by  the  strong,  so  sided  with  King  George  and  Governor 
Martin.  Later  their  judg-ment  was  destined  to  be  rndely 
shaken. 

Next  to  the  recently  arrived  Scottish  Highlanders — includ- 
ing many  who  had  survived  the  carnage  of  Culloden — the 
Regulators  were  Governor  Josiah  Martin's  main  reliance 
during  the  Revolution.  The  very  word  Regulator  became  a 
synonym  for  Tory.  As  to  the  Highlanders,  loyalty  was  a 
part  of  their  very  being ;  in  fact,  their  so-called  rebellions  in 
Scotland  had  been  nothing  more  than  ultra-loyalty  to  a  race 
of  monarchs  whose  right  to  the  throne,  so  far  at  least  as 
heredity  counts,  all  must  admit. 

When  General  Donald  McDonald  began  his  movements  in 
1776  for  re-establishing  royal  rule,  the  Regulators  were 
prompt  to  co-operate  with  him.  On  the  other  hand,  those 
North  Carolina  troops  who  opposed  him  were  commanded 
by  Brigadier-General  James  Moore,  a  veteran  of  the  Ala- 
mance campaig-n,  who  had  fought  under  Tryon.  Moore,  how- 
ever, was  not  personally  present  when  the  Royalists  were 
finally  intercepted,  as  it  had  been  uncertain  where  the  fight 
would  occur.  But  many  of  the  officers  in  his  command — 
as  Colonels  Richard  Caswell  of  Dobbs,  Alexander  Lillingtou 
of  New  Hanover,  John  Hinton  of  Wake,  and  others — had 
also  received  their  first  lessons  in  war  while  serving  imder 
Tryon ;  and  for  a  second  time  they  conquered  the  Regulators, 
in  a  battle  fought  on  the  27th  of  February,  1776,  at  Moore's 
Creek  Bridge. 

Colonel  William  Purviance,   an  ofiicer  in  the  American 


178  GOVERNOE    TRYON 

service,  reported  in  Februaiy,  1776,  that  there  were  not  two 
hundred  old  Regulators  in  the  army  under  McDonald.*  But 
if  they  were  not  there  then,  they  came  later ;  and  many,  who 
were  on  their  way  to  join  the  Royal  standard,  turned  hack 
when  they  heard  how  the  battle  had  gone.  In  April,  1776, 
a  committee  was  appointed  by  the  State  to  look  into  the  cases 
of  prisoners  who  had  been  taken. f  In  this  list,  though  a 
large  majority  are  Highlanders,  we  find  many  names  which 
look  strangely  familiar  to  those  who  have  studied  the  history 
of  the  RegTilators.  There  are  the  names  of  Devinney,  Field, 
York,  and  others.  Devinney,  who  had  formerly  been  fined 
and  imprisoned  for  his  violence  when  a  Regulator,  now  had  to 
answer  the  charge  of  belonging  to  a  party  of  Tories  by  w^hom 
Captain  Dent  was  shot.  William  Field  was  once  a  member 
of  some  sort  of  court,  instituted  in  1770-'71  by  the  Regula- 
tors, which  sentenced  George  Mabry  to  exile  unless  he  should 
pay  a  disputed  debt,  and  which  also  enforced  said  sentence  by 
a  threat  to  whij)  Mabry  and  burn  his  home  if  he  failed  to  leave 
the  colony.  Now  Field  had  been  captured  while  "Colonel  of 
a  Division"  in  the  Royalist  forces.:}:  He  violated  his  "solemn 
assurances"  to  the  Whig  government  that  he  would  remain 
neutral,  though  possibly  he  was  one  of  those  too  conscientious 
to  violate  the  oath  Tryon  forced  on  the  Regulators.  With 
him,  as  prisoners,  were  his  three  brothers:  Robert  (captain 
of  a  company  of  sixty  men),  Joseph  (a  lieutenant),  and  Jere- 
miah. One  of  these,  Jeremiah,  liad  been  spokesman  of  the 
mob  which  broke  up  the  court  that  Judge  Henderson  was  hold- 
ing at  Hillsborough  in  1770.    As  William  and  Jeremiah  were 


•Colonial  Recorda  of  N.  C.  Vol.  X,  pp.  465-468. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  X.  pp.  B98-C03,  841. 

t  Colonial  Reconis  of  N.  C.  Vol.  X.  pp.  1018-1019. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA. 


1Y9 


with  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  they  seem  to  have  gotten  back 
into  the  British  service  after  their  first  capture.  Among  the 
"Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,"  after  the  war,  was  the  asser- 
tion that  he  had  fought  twice — once  for  his  country  and  once 
for  his  King — had  been  beaten  both  times,  and  wouhl  fight 
no  more.*  The  Yorks,  too,  had  been  prominent  Regulators, 
and  one  of  them,  Robinson,  is  said  to  have  been  "clerk"  of  the 
mock  court  which  made  the  famous  docket  entries  at  Hills- 
borough in  1770.  Now,  he  and  Seymore  York,  probably  his 
brother,  had  been  locked  up  by  the  Whigs  because  each  was 
commanding  a  company  of  Loyalists.  Robinson,  when  sent 
a  prisoner  to  Maryland,  broke  jail  in  September,  1776,  and, 
in  the  advertisement  for  his  recapture,  he  was  described  as 
having  "red  hair,  curled  on  his  neck,  remarkable  large  lips, 
and  bad  teeth,"  and  as  being  "a  very  chattering  fellow." 
Lyman  York  was  another  captain  in  the  royal  service.f 

When  the  Regulators  were  repairing  to  McDonald's  ren- 
dezvous at  Cross  Creek  (now  Fayetteville),  one  prophetic  in- 
dividual wrote  from  JSTew  Bern:  "An  express  arrived  here 
yesterday  from  the  back  countiy,  informing  us  that  the  Regii- 
lators  and  Tories  were  making  head  there,  and  intended 
marching  to  Cross  Creek,  and  from  thence  to  Cape  Fear.  I 
am  of  opinion  they  will  get  well  flogged  before  they  reach 
Cape  Fear,  provided  they  will  fight. "t  Aud  well  flogged  they 
were — so  well  that  when  the  British  invasion  of  17S1  was  in 
progress,  Cornwallis  was  much  disheartened  at  the  small 
number  of  Regiilators  which  turned  out  at  his  call.  From 
His  Lordship's  o\\ti  pen  (April  10,  1781)  we  have  the  state- 

"  Life  of  Caldwell,  by  Caruthers,  p.  177. 

+  Sabine's  American  Loyalists  (1864  edition).  Vol.  II,  pp.  463-464. 

t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol,  X,  p.  452, 


180  GOVERNOR    TRYON 

ment:  "Many  of  the  inhabitants  rode  into  camp,  shook  me 
by  the  hand,  said  they  were  glad  to  see  us  and  to  hear  that 
we  had  beat  Greene,  and  then  rode  home  again.  I  could  not 
get  100  men  in  all  the  Eegulators'  country  to  stay  with  us, 
even  as  militia."*  Like  their  compatriot,  Jeremiah  Field, 
these  people  probably  knew  when  they  were  beaten  enough. 

Before  leaving  this  subject,  let  us  see  how  the  movement, 
culminating  in  the  battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  was 
viewed  in  Great  Britain.  An  old  English  publication,  the 
Annual  Register^  for  1776,  in  giving  an  account  of  this  cam- 
paign, says:  "The  connection  he  [Governor  Josiah  Martin] 
had  formed  with  a  body  of  desperate  people,  lately  consid- 
ered rebels  to  the  King's  government,  now  equally  enemies 
to  the  provincial  establishment,  whom  we  have  frequently 
had  occasion  to  take  notice  of  under  the  name  of  Regulators, 
as  well  as  the  Highland  emigrants,  seemed  to  insure  the  re- 
duction of  the  insurgents,  even  independent  of  the  exi^eeted 
force  [from  Ireland].  That  Colony  [JSTorth  Carolina]  was 
deemed  the  weakest  in  America,  except  Georgia ;  and  the  two 
parties  we  have  mentioned  were  numerous,  active,  daring; 
and  the  former  were  at  this  time,  as  well  as  [were]  the  latter, 
zealously  attached  to  the  royal  cause.  The  Highlanders  were 
considered  as  naturally  war-like,  and  the  Rcg-ulators,  from 
situation,  habits,  and  manner  of  living,  to  be  much  boldei', 
hardier,  and  better  marksmen  than  those  who  had  been  bred 
to  other  courses,  and  in  more  civilized  parts  of  the  country." 
This  same  account  later  says:  "The  provincial  parties  were 
so  close  in  the  pursuit,  and  so  alert  in  cutting  the  country  and 
seizing  the  passes,  that  M'Donald  at  length  found  himself 

•Clinton-CornwalUs  Controversy  (1888  edition).  Vol.  I.  pp.  39B-397. 


OF    NOETH    CAKOLINA.  181 

imder  a  necessity  of  engaging  a  Colonel  Caswell,  who,  with 
about  a  thousand  militia  and  minnte  men,  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  a  place  called  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  where  they  had 
thrown  iip  an  intrenchment.  The  royalists  were  by  all  ac- 
counts much  superior  in  number,  having  l^een  rated  from 
3,000  to  1,500,  which  last  number  M'Donald,  after  the  action, 
acknowledged  them  to  be.  The  emigrants  began  the  attack 
with  great  fury ;  but  M'Leod,  the  second  in  command,  and  a 
few  more  of  the  bravest  officers  and  men,  being  killed  at  the 
first  onset,  they  suddenly  lost  all  spirit,  fled  with  the  utmost 
precipitation,  and,  as  the  provincials  say,  deserted  their  Gen- 
eral, who  was  taken  prisoner,  as  were  nearly  all  their  leaders, 
and  the  rest  totally  broken  and  dispersed.  This  victory  was 
a  matter  of  great  exultation  to  the  Carolinians.  They  had 
shewn  that  their  province  was  not  so  weak  as  was  imagined ; 
for  though  their  force  actually  in  the  engagement  was  not 
considerable,  they  had  raised  10,000  men  in  about  ten  days. 
But  what  was  still  more  flattering,  and,  perhajM,  not  of  less 
real  importance,  they  had  encountered  Europeans  (who  were 
supposed  to  hold  them  in  the  most  sovereigTi  contempt,  both 
as  men  and  as  soldiers)  in  the  field,  and  defeated  them  with 
an  inferior  force.  If  the  zeal  of  these  people  could  have 
been  kept  domiant  until  the  arrival  of  the  force  from  Ireland, 
it  seems  more  than  probable  that  the  Southern  colonies  would 
have  considerably  felt  the  impression  of  such  an  insurrection. 
But  now  their  force  and  spirits  were  so  entirely  broken,  their 
leaders  being  sent  to  different  prisons,  and  the  rest  stripped  of 
their  arms  and  watched  with  all  the  eyes  of  distiiist,  that 
no  futui'e  effort  could  be  reasonably  expected  of  them."* 

'Annual  Register  for  1776.  star-pages  156-158. 


182  GOVEENOE    TEYON 

Among  the  number  of  Highland  settlers  at  Cross  Creek 
was  Flora  McDonald,  the  Scottish  heroine,  who  had  accom- 
panied her  husband  to  America. 

One  North  Carolina  officer  who  personally  participated  in 
the  Moore's  Creek  campaign  was  Nathaniel  Rochester,  for 
whom  the  city  of  Rochester,  in  New  York,  was  aften\'ards 
named.  In  an  autobiography,  Rochester  says:  "On  our  ar- 
rival about  daybreak  at  Devo's  Feriy,  about  20  miles  from 
Cross  Creek,  or  headquarters,  we  met  about  500  men  with 
General  McDonald  on  their  retreat,  they  having  been  met 
and  defeated  at  Moore's  Creek  Bridge  by  Colonel  Caswell, 
commander  of  a  regiment  of  minute  men.  *****  We 
took  the  500  prisoners.  Being,  however,  in  a  sparsely  settled 
country,  where  provisions  could  not  be  obtained,  I  was  obliged 
to  discharge  all  but  about  fifty,  who  were  appointed  officers 
by  McDonald,  after  swearing  those  discharged  that  they 
would  not  again  take  up  anns  against  the  United  Colonies ; 
notwithstanding  which  they  did  afterwards  join  Lord  Com- 
wallis  when  he  marched  through  North  Carolina.  *  *  *  * 
They  were  sent  under  a  guard  as  prisoners  of  war  to  Freder- 
ick Town,  in  Maryland,  where  they  remained  until  exchanged. 
In  disarming  the  prisoners  at  Devo's  Ferry,  the  Scotch  gave 
up  their  dirks  with  much  reluctance,  these  having,  as  they 
said,  been  handed  do\\'n  from  father  to  son  for  many  gener- 
ations."* 

The  brilliant  achievement  of  the  patriots  at  Moore's  Creek 
Bridge  was  of  such  importance  that  more  than  four  years 
elapsed  before  the  Tories  again  made  an  organized  stand  on 
the  soil  of  North  Carolina ;  and  then,  at  Ramsour's  Mill,  on 

•  See  autobiography  of  Rochester  on  p.  99  of  "  Fragments  of  Revolutionary  History." 
edited  by  Gaillard  Hunt  for  the  District  of  Columbia  Society  of  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 


OF    NOETH    CAEOLINA.  183 

the  20tli  of  June,  1780,  they  were  again  hadly  beaten. 
Though  we  may  be  sure  that  the  news  of  Moore's  Creek  was 
not  many  weeks  in  reaching  Old  England,  it  has  not  even  yet, 
it  seems,  reached  some  of  the  people  of  New  England ;  for 
the  Massachusetts  statesman,  Honorable  George  F.  Hoar,  con- 
temptuously intimated  in  the  United  States  Senate,*  on  the 
5th  of  January,  1901,  while  engaged  in  a  debate,  that  this 
was  a  battle  of  which  he  had  never  heard !  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  number  of  men  engaged  at  Moore's  Creek  Bridge 
was  more  than  double  the  entire  forces  present  at  both  of  the 
world-famous  battles  of  Lexington  and  Concord,  in  Senator 
Hoar's  own  State;  and,  imlike  the  two  Massachusetts  fights, 
Moore's  Creek  was  a  great  victory  for  the  Americans. 

Wliat  has  been  said  in  this  chapter  concerning  the  part 
borne  by  the  Regulators  in  the  Revolution  is  not  simply  for 
the  purpose  of  casting  reproach  upon  them.  Though  too 
mau}^  of  them  were  animated  by  j^ersonal  hatred  of  the  Whig 
leaders  and  fear  of  Great  Britain,  some,  no  doubt,  sincerely 
believed  in  the  righteousness  of  tlie  Royal  cause  and  so  deemed 
themselves  justified  in  pursuing  the  course  they  did.  Many 
men  remained  loyal  from  conscientious  motives.  But  as  it 
is  so  often  said  and  reiterated  that  the  Regulators  "began  the 
Revolution,"  truth  demands  evidence  to  show  which  side  they 
espoused  in  that  war. 

It  is  proper  to  add  that  when  Governor  Martin  ordered  a 
rally  of  the  royal  forces  just  prior  to  the  battle  of  Moore's 
Creek  Bridge,  be  included  in  his  commission  some  members 
of  the  American  party,  among  whom  were  Paul  Barringer 
of  Mecklenburg,  Philemon  Hawkins,  senior,  and  Philemon 

*  Congressional  Record,  Vol.  34,  Part  I,  p.  589. 


184  QOVEENOE    TRYON 

Hawkins,  junior,  of  Bute,  and  possibly  others.  Of  the  three 
just  mentioned,  Governor  Swain,  in  one  of  his  published 
addresses,  says :  "These  gentlemen  were  sturdy  and  well-tried 
Whigs  throughout  the  Revolutionary  War.  Governor  Martin 
may  have  been  misinformed  in  relation  to  them,  or  may  have 
inserted  their  names  in  order  to  render  them  objects  of  sus- 
picion, and  strip  them  of  their  influence  among  the  Whigs. 
*****  Similar  injustice  may  possibly  have  been  done 
to  others."* 

Many  surmises  and  speculations  have  been  made  as  to  why 
nearly  all  of  the  Regulators  became  Tories.  Some  of  their 
defenders  say  it  was  becaiise  they  were  too  conscientious  to 
violate  the  oath  of  allegiance  they  had  been  compelled  to  take 
after  the  battle  of  Alamance.  But  this  belief  is  difficult  to 
accept.  They  were  not  superior  in  morals  to  the  great  pa- 
triots of  the  Revolution,  many  of  whom — Washington  in- 
cluded— had  held  military  commissions  and  civil  offices  prior 
to  the  war  and,  hence,  had  sworn  allegiance  to  the  King.  The 
real  causes  of  the  disaffection  of  the  Regulators  were  hatred  to 
the  Revolutionai-y  patriots  who  had  defeated  them  at  Ala- 
mance and  fear  of  Great  Britain.  The  ablest  defense  of  the 
Regulators  ever  written  is  from  the  pen  of  the  great  North 
Carolina  historian,  Honorable  William  L.  Saunders,  LL.  D.f 
That  writer,  in  part,  says:  "The  famous  Hillsborough  Pro- 
vincial Congress  in  1775  made  haste  on  the  first  day  of  its 
session  to  resolve  that  the  Regulators  who  broke  their  oaths 
ought  to  be  protected  from  jumishment  therefor,  and  ap- 
pointed Caswell,  Moore,  Patillo,  and  others,  a  committee  to 

*  Hawks,  Graham,  and  Swain  Lectures  on  the  Revolutionary  History  of  North  Carolina, 
p.  117,  note. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VIII.  Prefatory  Notes,  p.  xxxiv. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  185 

persuade  tlieni  that  they  ought  to  break  them — Caswell, 
whose  bayonets  had  forced  the  oaths  dowai  their  throats; 
Patillo,  who,  with  the  other  Presbyterian  pastors  in  the 
province,  had  addressed  a  laudatoi-y  letter  to  Tryon  and  a 
denunciatory  one  to  their  congi-egations  about  the  crime  of 
being  a  Regulator ;  and  Moore,  who  had  been  on  a  court  that 
convicted  twelve  of  the  Regulators  of  treason  and  sentenced 
them  to  death  !"  This  quotation  from  Saunders  will  form  the 
basis  of  a  true  analysis.  It  was  largely  to  pay  old  scores  that 
the  Regiilators  became  Tories.  Then,  too,  there  was  another 
cause,  as  given  by  the  earliest  Tennessee  historian,  Judge 
John  Haywood,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  says  that 
fear  of  British  authority  made  them  Tories ;  and  the  writings 
of  Judge  Haywood  certainly  do  not  display  any  love  for 
Tryon  or  the  civil  officers  under  his  administration  which 
might  prejudice  him  against  the  Regulators.  Probably  the 
best  summing  up  of  the  whole  movement  was  that  written  in 
October,  1780,  by  John  Adams,  of  Massachusetts,  while 
Minister  to  Holland.*  Adams  says:  "There  v.-ere  some 
warm  disputes  in  North  Carolina  concerning  some  of  the 
internal  regulations  of  the  province ;  and  a  small  number  of 
people  in  the  back  parts  rose  in  arms,  under  the  name  of  Regu- 
lators, against  the  government  Governor  Tryon  marched 
at  the  head  of  some  troops  drawn  from  the  militia,  gave  battle 
to  the  Reg-iilators,  defeated  them,  hanged  some  of  their  ring- 
leaders, and  published  proclamations  against  many  others. 
These  people  were  all  treated  as  having  been  in  rebellion, 
and  they  were  left  to  solicit  pardon  of  the  Crown.  This 
established  in  the  minds  of  those  Regulators  such  a  hatred 

•  See  Life  and  Works  of  John  Adams,  Vol.  VII,  p.  234. 


•186  GOVEKNOE    TKYON 

towards  the  rest  of  their  fellow  citizens,  that  in  1775,  when 
the  war  broke  out,  they  would  not  join  with  them.  The  King 
has  since  promised  them  pardon  for  their  fonner  treasons 
upon  the  condition  that  they  commit  fresh  ones  against 
their  country.  *****  In  conjimction  with  a  uumher  of 
Scotch  Highlanders  they  rose ;  and  Governor  Caswell  marched 
against  them,  gave  them  battle,  and  defeated  them.  This 
year  they  have  risen  again,  and  been  again  defeated.  But 
these  people  are  so  few  in  number,  and  there  is  so  much  ap- 
parent malice  and  revenge,  instead  of  any  principle,  in  their 
disaffection,  that  any  one  who  knows  anything  of  the  human 
heart  will  see  that,  instead  of  iinally  weakening  the  cause  in 
North  Carolina,  it  will  only  serve  to  give  a  keenness  and  an 
obstinacy  to  those  who  support  it." 

Some  writers  say  that  those  who  resisted  the  Stamp  Act 
and  those  who  rose  iip  as  Regulators  were  alike,  in  that  both 
movements  were  against  British  opj^ression.  Biit  exactly 
wherein  the  British — either  King  or  Parliament — had  any- 
thing to  do  with  alleged  irregiilarities  of  county  officials  in 
the  backwoods  of  North  Carolina  is  difficult  to  see.  The 
abuses  which  caused  the  Regulators  to  rise  were  no  more 
attributable  to  the  King  or  government  of  Great  Britain  than 
to  the  Shah  of  Persia  or  the  Holy  Roman  Empire.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Stamp  Act  came  from  the  highest  legislative 
authority  of  Great  Britain.  Nor  did  the  people  of  Cape 
Fear,  in  1766,  seek  to  substitute  anarchy  for  the  administra- 
tion of  the  laws  of  the  colony,  even  though  tliey  did  tempo- 
rarily coop  up  the  Governor  and  bully  a  few  Crown  officials. 
Some  also  there  are  who  say  that  the  Regulators  slain  at 
Alamance  were  the  first  martyrs  of  the  Revolution;  if  this 
be  true,  they  were  veiy  different  in  ju-inciples  from  those  who 


OF    NORTH    CAKOLINA. 


187 


survived  the  battle,  for,  as  has  already  been  shown,  the  sur- 
vivors were  among  the  most  bitter  enemies  of  the  Eevolu- 
tionarv  movement. 

In  politics,  religions,  irreligious,  and  manias  the  Regu- 
lators were  quite  variable.  Accordingly  as  the  whim  moved 
them,  they  praised  the  reigning  monarch  as  the  best  of  rulers, 
or  drauk:  "'Damnation  to  King  George  and  success  to  the 
Pretender."  They  fomid  fault  with  Judges  Moore  and  Hen- 
derson because  they  were  "not  appointed  by  the  King."  To 
Governor  Martin,  in  1772,  they  made  "the  most  solemn  protes- 
tation of  their  innocence  and  abhorrence  of  the  design  to  sub- 
vert the  government."  One  of  their  principal  written  agree- 
ments began :  "Being  conscious  of  our  loyalty  to  King  George 
the  Third,  on  the  present  throne,  and  our  fii-m  attachment  to 
the  present  establishment  and  form  of  government,"  etc* 
If  they  themselves  are  to  be  believed,  the  Regulators  had  no 
quarrel  in  particular  Avith  Great  Britain,  yet  Tryon  was 
right  when  he  said  that,  had  they  succeeded  in  the  battle  of 
Alamance,  all  law  and  order  in  North  Carolina  would  have 
been  at  an  end. 

At  the  time  of  their  uprising  all  of  the  religious  denomi- 
nations in  the  colony  held  the  Kegiilators  in  the  utmost  abhor- 
rence. Yet  not  a  few  writers  in  more  recent  years  have 
attempted  to  make  it  appear  that  they  were  a  deeply  religious 
set  and  only  sided  against  America  in  the  Revolution  becaiise 
they  were  too  pious  to  violate  the  oaths  of  allegiance  taken 
prior  to  the  war.  Caruthers,  in  his  Life  of  Caldwell,-]-  says 
that  they,  for  the  most  part,  bad  been  religiously  educated  and 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  Vm.  pp.  246,  519;  Ibid..  Vol.  IX,  p.  329:  Husband's 
Book,  reprinted  in  Wheeler's  History  of  N.  C,  Part  II,  p.  309. 
tLife  of  Caldwell,  pp.  115,  148. 


188  QOVERNOE    TBTON 

taught  to  regard  the  Bible  as  a  revelation  from  heaven.  He 
also  intimates  that  they  were  largely  Presbyterians.  Yet 
Tryon  always  spoke  with  gratitude  of  the  aid  afforded  him 
by  the  Presbyterians,  and  quite  a  number  of  Presbyterian 
clergymen  (including  Doctor  Caldwell  himself)  issued  a 
pastoral  letter  to  their  flocks  in  1768,  saying  that  very  few 
of  their  faith  were  engaged  in  the  insurrection,  but  that  to 
these — "who  had  been  seduced  from  the  peaceable  deportment 
and  loyalty  of  their  profession  and  ancestry" — they  would 
sound  a  note  of  warning.  These  same  clergjauen,  in  an  ad- 
dress to  Governor  Tryon,  on  August  23,  1768,  gave  utterance 
to  extravagant  professions  of  loyalty,  which  need  not  be  here 
quoted,  and  also  say:  "We  humbly  hope  Your  Excellency 
has  found  but  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  people  of  our 
denomination  among  the  present  insurgents;  and  we  assui'e 
you,  sir,  if  any  there  are,  they  have  departed  froni  the  inva- 
riable principles  of  their  profession,  which  some,  bred  in  the 
wilderness,  for  want  of  proper  instruction,  may  be  supposed 
ignorant  of."* 

In  endeavoring  to  prove  that  the  Regulators  were  mostly 
Baptists,  a  great  deal  has  also  been  written ;  yet  a  noted  Bap- 
tist divine,  the  Reverend  Morgan  Edwards,  who  passed 
through  the  scene  of  the  then  recent  disturbances  a  little  over 
a  year  after  the  battle  of  Alamance,  says  that  he  made  it  his 
business  to  inquire  into  the  matter,  and  could  aver  that  there 
were  only  seven  Baptists  in  the  entire  movement,  and  these 
had  every  one  been  expelled  from  congregations  to  which  they 
belonged  in  consequence  of  a  resolve  passed  by  the  Baptist 
Association  at  Sandy  Creek  on  the  second  Saturday  in  Octo- 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  VH,  pp.  813-816. 


OF    NOETII    CAEOLINA.  189 

bcr,  1769,  wliicli  said:  "If  any  of  our  members  shall  take 
up  arms  against  the  legal  authority,  or  aid  and  abet  them  that 
do  so,  he  shall  be  excommunicated."  Of  the  Regulators 
afterwards  indicted,  says  the  same  authority,  only  one  (Cap- 
tain Merrill)  was  a  Baptist.  Edwards  also  states- that  on  oue 
occasion  an  armed  band  of  Regulators  marched  into  a  meet- 
ing of  Baptists  and  threatened  to  disperse  it  in  consequence 
of  the  passage  of  the  above  resolution.* 

Again,  it  has  been  said  that  many  Quakers  sympathized 
with  the  insurrectionists;  yet  Doctor  Stephen  B.  Weeks,  in 
his  work  on  Southern  QuaJicrs  and  Slavery.-f  quotes  records 
to  show  that  all  Quakers  were  expelled  from  their  societies 
who  had  anything  to  do  with  the  movement — not  only  for 
joining  the  Regulators,  but  even  for  "aiding  them,"  as  in  the 
case  of  one  Himiphrej-  Williams. 

The  author  of  the  present  biogTaphy  being  of  the  Anglican 
"persuasion,"  and  not  a  great  admirer  of  the  Regulators,  has 
until  recently  rejoiced  in  the  belief  that  no  one  ever  charged 
members  of  the  Church  of  England  with  being  engaged  in  the 
outbreak,  but  this  rejoicing  is  now  turned  into  humiliation 
and  sorrow ;  for  in  the  book  written  by  Husband  himself:}:  is 
the  statement:  "We  found  our  body  to  consist  promiscuously 
of  all  sects,  but  the  men  who  we  put  the  most  trust  in  were 
of  the  Church  of  England  communion." 

In  connection  with  that  deeply  religious  character  which 
the  Reg-ulators  are  supposed  to  have  possessed,  it  is  of  interest 
to  recall  the  entries  on  the  docket-book  in  Hillsborough  which 

*  Morgan  Edwards,  quoted  in  David  Benedict's  History  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in 
America  (edition  of  1813),  Vol.  U,  p.  116. 
I  Southern  Quakers  and  Slavery,  pp.  182-183. 
1  Reprinted  in  Wheeler's  History  of  N.  C,  Part  U,  p.  .315. 


190  GOVERNOE    TETON 

they  made  when  holding  a  mock  court  after  driving  out  Judge 
Henderson  at  the  Septemher  Term,  1770.  One  entry  by 
them  says:  "The  Elect  pays  cost."  Another,  in  the  suit  of 
Isaiah  Hogan  vs.  Hermon  Husband:  ''Hogan  pays  &  be 
damned."  On  the  case  of  John  Mellund  vs.  William  Court- 
ney, is  the  remark :  "Damned  Kogues."  In  Michael  Wilson 
vs.  David  Harris,  appears  the  entry :  "All  Harrises  are 
Rogues."  In  a  judgment  by  default,  in  Sales  Brown  vs. 
William  Lewis:  "The  Man  is  sick.  It  'tis  damned  roguery." 
In  Solomon  Turvil  vs.  James  Tun'il,  where  an  execution  was 
levied  on  two  negroes :  "Negroes  not  worth  a  dam.  Cost  ex- 
ceeds the  whole."  In  Ezekiel  Brumfield  vs.  James  Ferrel, 
for  slander,  is  the  advice  and  charitable  observation:  "Let 
them  agree,  for  Ferrel  has  gone  Hell-ward." 

We  are  not  advised  of  the  religious  denomination  to  which 
the  parties  belonged  who  made  the  above  entries.  They 
were  probably  not  those  religiously  educated  Presbyterians 
who  had  been  taught  to  regard  the  Bible  as  a  revelation  from 
heaven,  for  they  adjudged  that  the  "elect"  should  jjay  the 
costs.  And  the  phraseology  employed  does  not  bear  any 
striking  similitude  to  the  dialect  (so  easily  recog-nizable) 
which  is  used  by  the  Society  of  Friends:  hence  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  Quakers  did  not  do  it,  either.  So  it  must  have 
been  the  work  of  some  members  of  the  Church  of  England, 
or  those  seven  excommunicated  Baptists  mentioned  by  Mor- 
gan Edwards. 

Upon  Tryou's  departure  from  New  Bern,  James  Hasell, 
President  of  the  Council,  qualified  as  Governor  pro  iempore 
(July  1,  1771).  On  August  11th  the  new  Governor,  Colonel 
Josiah  Martin,  arrived  by  sea  from  New  York,  after  a  pas- 
sage of  nineteen  days,  and  was  sworn  in  on  the  day  after  his 


OF    NORTH    CAEOLIKA.  191 

arrival.  Trv-on  reached  New  York  and  had  a  consultation 
with  Martin  just  before  the  latter  set  out  for  jS^rth  Caro- 
lina.* Colonel  Martin  belonged  to  a  very  ancient  English 
family,  of  Nonnan  origin,  which  traced  its  descent  from 
Martin  of  Tours,  a  general  in  the  army  of  William  the  Con- 
queror. Like  Tryon,  Governor  Martin  was  a  soldier  by  pro- 
fession. He  married  his  cousin,  Elizabeth  Martin,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Josiah  Martin,  of  Long  Island,  ISTew  York.  One  of  the 
Governor's  brothers  was  later  created  a  baronet.  This 
was  Sir  Henry  Martin,  of  Lock  Inge,  in  Berkshire.  The 
father  of  Sir  Henry  and  Governor  Martin  lived  for  many 
years  on  the  West  Indian  Island  of  Antigua,  and  there  the 
Governor  was  probably  born.f  Some  axithorities  state  that 
Governor  Martin  died  in  New  York.  This  is  a  mistake, 
probably  caused  by  confusing  him  with  his  uncle  or  a  rela- 
tive of  the  same  name. 

On  his  way  from  England  to  North  Carolina,  the  new 
Governor  was  taken  sick  in  New  York,  and  bitterly  com- 
plained in  a  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough  of  being  unable 
to  proceed  to  the  government  with  Avhich  he  had  been  en- 
ti-usted,  in  time  to  share  the  dangers  of  the  war  there  exist- 
ing.:}: Ultimately,  however,  he  was  rather  friendly  to  the 
Reg-ulators.  The  historian  Williamson  ascribes  this  to  jeal- 
ousy. That  ^^Titer  says :  "Martin  sickened  at  the  praises  of 
Tryon.  He  had  little  reason  to  exjDect  that  his  own  achieve- 
ments would  ever  swell  the  trump  of  fame.  He  could  hardly 
rise  to  the  standard  of  Tryon,  but  he  might  possibly  reduce 
the  character  of  Tryon,  in  the  province,  to  his  o^\'n  level. 

•  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX,  pp.  3.  9.  15-17. 
+  Betham's  Baronetage.  Vol.  IV,  pp.  210-211. 
t  Colonial  Records  of  N.  C.  Vol.  IX,  pp.  16-17. 


192  GOVERNOB    TBYO^f 

The  man  who  scatters  censure  is  sure  to  please  the  ignorant 
and  the  disappointed.  He  takes  the  beaten  road  to  popu- 
larity. It  may  be  trodden  without  the  aid  of  virtue  or  tal- 
ents."* 

If  such  ungenerous  feelings  as  those  suggested  by  William- 
son indeed  found  place  in  Martin's  bosom,  it  is  certain  he 
concealed  them  under  a  polite  exterior,  for  never  did  he  men- 
tion Tryon  in  his  letters  save  with  respect.  Nor,  in  those 
letters,  did  he  ever  attribute  to  his  predecessor  aught  but 
credit  for  the  Alamance  campaig-n,  tliough  he  severely  de- 
nounced the  extortionate  county  officials,  who,  he  said,  stirred 
up  the  trouble. 

One  thing  seems  certain,  however,  that  the  ISTorth  Carolina 
Assembly  always  looked  with  far  more  favor  upon  Tryon  than 
upon  Martin.  As  late  as  December,  1773,  when  desiring  to 
have  an  important  measure  laid  before  the  King,  the  Assembly 
passed  a  resolution  entirely  igTioring  their  own  Governor  and 
ordering  that  a  committee  "do  address  His  Excellency,  Wil- 
liam Tryon,  Esquire,  the  present  Governor  of  New  York, 
who,  happily  for  this  country,  for  so  many  years  presided  over 
it,  and  of  whose  good  intentions  to  its  welfare  we  feel  the 
fullest  conviction ;  that  they  forward  to  him  our  dutiful  ad- 
dress to  His  Majesty,  and  re([uest  that  he  should  be  pleased 
to  convey  the  same  to  our  most  gracious  sovereign,  support 
oiu'  earnest  solicitations  with  his  interest  and  influence,  and 
that  lie  accept  of  this  important  trust  as  a  testimony  of  the 
great  affection  this  colony  bears  him,  and  the  entire  confidence 
they  repose  in  him."  Governor  Martin  was  cut  to  the  quick 
by  this  insult,  yet  preserved  his  temper  under  the  provoca- 
tion with  more  than  ordinary  grace.     Concerning  the  Asscm- 

•  WilliamBon's  History  of  N.  C,  Vol.  II,  p.  163. 


OF    NOKTH    CAROLINA.  _  193 

blv  and  its  action,  he  wrote  Lord  Hillsborough  a  letter  saying: 
"I  am  glad,  with  all  my  heart,  that  their  evil  dispositions 
towards  me  have  drawn  upon  my  friend  Governor  Tryou  a 
compliment  and  mark  of  confidence  to  which  his  services  in 
this  country  so  greatly  entitle  him.  It  is  a  real  mitigation  of 
the  pain  I  have  felt  from  the  wound  given  me,  through  him, 
that  his  merits  are  illustrated  by  it ;  and  it  is  my  sufficient 
consolation  that  I  have  been  assured  that  all  but  the  imme- 
diate contrivers  of  it  look  back  with  shame  and  indignation 
to  the  unmerited  insult  in  which  they  blindly  concurred."* 

Strange  as  it  may  now  seem.  North  Carolina  was  a  more 
populous  colony  than  New  York  in  1771.  Indeed,  so  late  as 
1790,  when  the  first  official  census  was  compiled,  North  Caro- 
lina had  393,751  inhabitants,  while  New  York  had  only 
340,120.  Nor  do  these  figures  include  Tennessee  as  a 
part  of  North  Carolina.  Only  two  States,  Virginia  and 
Pennsylvania,  then  exceeded  North  Carolina  in  population. 
By  the  most  recent  census  (1900),  North  Carolina  droj)s 
down  to  the  fifteenth  place,  yet  ranks  ahead  of  Virginia,  and 
has  more  than  twice  the  population  of  any  State  in  New 
England  except  Massachusetts ;  while  Tennessee  (North  Caro- 
lina's daughter),  which  had  only  35,791  inhabitants  by  the 
census  of  1790,  contains  a  greater  population,  by  the  census 
of  1900,  than  either  North  Carolina  cr  Virginia. 

Not  only  was  North  Carolina  more  populous  than  New 
York  in  1771,  but  the  Governor's  salaiy  in  the  former  seems 
to  have  been  larger,  while  the  Palace  at  New  Bern  was  the 
most  elegant  structure  in  America.  All  this  being  true,  it 
is  somewhat  strange  that  Tryon  should  have  preferred  the 

•Colonial  Records  of  N.  C,  Vol.  IX.  pp.  787.  800. 


194  GOVERNOR    TRTON 

northern  colony.     If  he  foresaw,  in  even  a  small  degree,  its 
future  greatness,  it  speaks  well  for  his  sagacity. 

On  July  9,  1771,  two  days  after  his  arrival  in  New  York, 
Tryon  was  sworn  in  as  Governor.  His  predecessor  in  that 
office  was  a  Scottish  nobleman  of  tlie  House  of  Murray,  whom 
one  Revolutionary  poet,  no  respecter  of  persons,  has  described 
as — 

"That  silly  old  fellow,  much  noted  of  yore. 
And  known  by  the  name  of  John,  Earl  of  Dunmore." 

Lord  Dunmore  had  been  Governor  of  New  York  for  a  very 
brief  period  (since  October  19,  1770),  and  left  that  province 
to  become  Governor  of  Virginia,  where  he  remained  until 
the  war  put  an  end  to  Royal  authority.  He  seems  to  have 
been  transferred  from  the  Governorship  of  New  York  to  that 
of  Virginia  against  his  will,  as  he  endeavored  to  persuade 
Tryon  to  exchange  governments  with  him,  which  arrangement 
had  been  authorized  by  the  King,  if  agreeable  to  both  parties. 
Tryon,  however,  preferred  New  York,  and  was  swoni  in 
accordingly.*  Next  the  members  of  the  Coimcil  qualified, 
and  a  procession  was  formed  which  proceeded  in  state  to  the 
Town  Hall,  where  the  appointment  of  the  new  Governor  was 
formally  proclaimed  to  the  multitude. 

•  Documents  Relatins:  to  the  Colonial  History  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Vol.  VIII,  p.  278. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  195 


CHAPTER  IX. 

OBSERVATIONS  OX  TRYON'S  CAREER  IN  REVOLUTION— MAJOR- 
GENERAL  OF  LOYALISTS,  AND  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
AFTER  RETURN  TO  ENGLAND— TRIBUTE  TO  HIS  CHARAC- 
TER BY  JUDGE  JONES,  OF  NEW  YORK— DEATH— OBITUARY 
IN  GENTLEMAN'S  MAGAZINE— BURIED  IN  FAIMILY  VAULT 
AT  TWICKENHAM— HIS  WILL  AND  THAT  OF  HIS  WIFE- 
CONCLUSION. 

As  this  narrative  is  limited  to  Xorth  Carolina,  it  leaves 
untold  some  of  the  most  momentous  events  of  Tryon's  life. 
At  first  it  was  the  author's  purpose  to  follow  him  through 
the  years  he  ruled  New  York,  to  tell  of  the  rupture  with 
Great  Britain,  and  to  place  on  record  the  part  he  bore  as  a 
Major-General  in  command  of  American  Loyalists,  when 
vainly  endeavoring  to  re-establish  Royal  rule.  But  on  second 
consideration  it  has  been  deemed  preferable  simply  to  devote 
a  few  concluding  remarks  to  his  administration  in  the  more 
northern  province,  and  let  a  detailed  account  await  the  pen 
of  some  ISTew  Yorker,  "native  and  to  the  manner  bom."  That 
writer,  if  the  task  be  undertaken,  should  bring  to  his  work  a 
generous  appreciation  of  the  circiunstances  by  which  Gov- 
ernor Tryon  was  beset.  He  was  an  Englishman,  not  an 
American,  and  should  not  be  harshly  criticised  for  refusing 
to  turn  against  a  monarch  who  had  twice  confided  to  him 
the  government  of  important  provinces. 

In  a  private  letter  to  the  author  of  this  present  work,  a 
distinguished  North  Carolina  lawyer  writes:  "Tryon  has 
been  the  worst  misrepresented  man  in  our  history."  This  is 
too  true ;  nor  has  misrepresentation  been  confined  to  North 
Carolina.     In  New  York  as  well,  his  years  of  toil  in  the 


196  GOVEENOR    TKTON 

upbuilding  of  that  province  have  been  to  a  large  extent  lost 
sight  of,  while  the  minutest  details  of  his  hostility  are  cher- 
ished and  exaggerated.  Do  we  ever  stop  to  think  that  Tryon 
committed  no  act  during  the  entire  Revolution  which  did  not 
have  its  counterpart  in  the  warfare  carried  on  by  Americans  ? 
Historians  aver  that  he  attempted  to  kill  or  capture  General 
Washington,  and  therefore  denounce  him  as  a  savage,  as  if 
war  could  exist  without  such  methods.  Indeed,  Washington 
himself  was  none  the  less  a  savage ;  for,  while  writing  to 
Richard  Henry  Lee,  on  December  26,  1775,  concerning  the 
Loyalist  Governor  of  Virginia,  Lord  Dunmore,  he  said:  "I 
do  not  think  that  forcing  His  Lordship  on  shipboard  is  suf- 
ficient ;  nothing  less  than  depriving  him  of  life  or  liberty  will 
secure  peace  to  Virginia."*  Did  Tryon  burn  and  destroy 
in  his  Connecticut  expeditions  ?  Yes,  but  the  Americans 
were  no  better  in  dealing  with  their  enemies.  In  both  New 
York  and  New  England  it  was  nothing  unusual  for  the  homes 
of  Loyalists  to  be  burned.  Nor  can  North  Carolina  or  Vir- 
ginia cast  the  first  stone  at  Tryon  for  warfare  of  this  char- 
acter. In  January,  1770,  wlien  Norfolk,  in  the  latter  State, 
had  been  partly  burned  by  the  British,  the  Virginia  House 
of  Burgesses  authorized  Colonel  Robert  Howe,  of  the  North 
Carolina  Continentals  (afterwards  a  Major-General),  to  burn 
up  the  Tory  section  of  the  town.  This  he  accordingly  did, 
and  afterwards  was  honored  with  an  official  vote  of  thanks 
by  the  Virginia  Convention  for  his  services  to  that  province.f 
Indeed,  the  history  of  war,  in  all  times,  is  more  or  less  a 
record  of  devastation  and  smoking  ruins.  We  read,  in  the 
one  authority  worthy  of  all  credence,  how  Samson  caught 

•  WritinKS  of  Washington  (1837  edition).  Vol.  HI,  p.  216. 
t  Jones's  Defence  of  North  Carolina,  p.  2-12,  vt  acq. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  197 

three  hundred  foxes,  put  fire  to  their  tails,  and  sent  the 
affrighted  incendiaries  scampering  through  the  cornfields  of 
the  Phillistines.  Then,  passing  over  the  succeeding  ages  and 
coming  nearer  home,  it  is  not  pleasant  to  scrutinize  too  closely 
our  "domestic  infelicity"  of  1861-'65.  When  Sheridan  laid 
waste  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  then  boasted  that  a 
crow  would  starve  in  attempting  to  fly  over  it  without  carry- 
ing a  supply  of  rations,  little  praise  was  accorded  him  by 
inhabitants  of  Virginia.  Wlien  Sherman  made  his  famous 
march  to  the  sea,  and  burned  more  houses  in  a -day  than  Tryon 
did  in  a  life-time,  it  is  equally  true  that  very  few  of  the  poems 
and  songs,  commemorative  thereof,  were  the  products  of 
Southern  bards.  When  the  city  of  Chambersburg  was  sent 
up  in  smoke  by  Confederate  troops  under  General  Early,  it 
was  not  considered  a  very  commendable  exploit  by  the  people 
of  Pennsylvania.  Yet  Sheridan,  and  Sherman,  and  Early, 
all  find  favor  with  historians  of  their  respective  sections. 
And  as  to  Samson — well,  it  is  neither  necessary  nor  profitable 
to  discuss  that  gentleman's  military  record,  for  foxes  are  too 
few  ever  again  to  be  employed  with  any  degree  of  success  in 
the  warfare  of  nations. 

As  every  well-equipped  representative  of  royalty  is  sup- 
posed to  be  provided  with  an  hereditaiy  title,  the  historical 
writers  of  both  North  Carolina  and  New  York  have  seen  to 
it  that  Governor  Tryou  shall  not  be  lacking  in  this  respect. 
Sometimes  they  give  him  the  honor  of  knighthood,  as  Sir 
William  Tryon ;  others  confer  upon  him  a  baronetcy,  as  Sir 
William  Tryon,  Baronet ;  and  occasionally  he  is  even  elevated 
to  the  peerage,  as  Lord  Tryon !  If  King  George  had  con- 
ferred all  these  splendid  honors  upon  the  Governor  during  his 
life-time  it  would  have  been  very  flattering  to  the  latter's 


198  GOVERN©B    TEYON 

vanity ;  but,  unfortunately  for  Tryon,  peerages  and  other 
titles  emanating  from  American  historians  and  pamphleteers 
have  never  been  officially  recognized  by  the  House  of  Lords 
or  His  Majesty's  College  of  Arms. 

Tryon  remained  nominally  Governor  of  New  York  uutil 
March  22,  1780,  when  James  Eobertson  qualified  as  his  suc- 
cessor by  appointment  from  the  King.  Of  course  neither 
Tryon  nor  Robertson  was  recognized  by  the  State  after  its 
independent  government  had  been  established.  The  name 
of  Governor  Tryon  appears  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  names 
enumerated  in  the  confiscation  acts  of  both  North  Carolina 
and  New  York,  and  the  counties  of  Tryon  in  these  States 
were  expunged  from  the  map.  Shortly  after  relinquishing 
the  government  of  New  York,  he  sailed  for  England,  where 
he  finally  rose  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-General. 

Among  the  Loyalists  Tryon  had  his  enemies  as  well  as 
among  the  Whigs,  yet  many  of  the  former  were  his  devoted 
friends.  Judge  Thomas  Jones,  the  Loyalist  historian  of 
New  York,  was  one  of  his  admirers,  and  writes  of  him  thus : 
"He  was  beloved,  esteemed,  and  almost  adored  by  the  people 
in  the  colony.  Wliile  Governor  he  heard  all  complaints  with 
the  utmost  patience.  His  ears  were  always  open,  as  well  to 
the  poor  as  to  the  rich ;  he  was  easy  of  access ;  he  refused  ad- 
mittance to  no  man;  he  was  kind,  charitable,  liumaiie,  and 
benevolent ;  had  ever  the  good  of  his  country  at  heart ;  de- 
spised, abhorred,  and  abominated  all  kind  of  )ieculation ;  he 
never  did  a  mean  act  while  Governor  of  the  colony ;  he  was 
universally  looked  upon  as  a  brave  soldier,  an  honest  man, 
and  a  good  Christian."* 

"History  of  New  York,  by  Judge  Thumaft  Jones,  Vol.  I,  p.  165.     JudKO  Jones  was  an 
American  Loyalist  and  .-lied  in  1792,  but  his  work  was  not  published  till  1879. 


OF    NORTH    OAEOLINA.  199 

The  death  of  Governor  Tryon  occurred  in  London,  at  his 
house  on  Upper  Grosvenor  Street,  January  27,  1788.  In  the 
Gentleman's  Magazine,  for  February  of  that  year,  appeared 
the  following  obituary : 

Died. — At  his  home  in  Upper  Grosvenor  str.,  sincerely  lamented, 
Lieut.-Geueral  Tryon,  Colonel  of  the  29tli  regiment  of  foot,  late  Governor 
of  the  province  of  New  York,  and  commander  in  chief  of  his  Majesty's 
forces  there.  His  remains  were  deposited  in  the  family  vault  at  Twicken- 
ham. The  importance  of  his  character  in  the  annals  of  this  country  pre- 
cludes the  necessity  of  expatiating  on  the  eminent  services  that  distin- 
guished his  life.  Illustrious  as  a  legislator,  he  suppressed  the  rising 
seeds  of  revolt  in  North  Carolina,  during  the  time  of  his  administration 
in  that  province.  Calmed  to  peace  under  his  mild  and  beneficent  sway, 
the  people  relinquished  every  other  ambition  than  that  of  looking  up 
with  filial  attachment  to  their  friend  and  protector,  whose  jurisprudence 
breathed  much  of  paternal  tenderness,  as  of  legislative  authority.  Called 
to  the  government  of  New  York,  a  wider  field  of  action  opened  to  this 
accomplished  statesman,  whose  superior  powers  of  wisdom  and  philan- 
thropy were  unceasingly  exerted  for  the  real  welfare  of  the  colonists. 
His  princely  munificence  extended  to  the  most  inconsiderable  of  the 
people;  and  the  heart-felt  gratitude  that  pervaded  every  branch  of  the 
community  will  make  the  name  of  Tryon  revered  across  the  Atlantic 
while  virtue  and  sensibility  remain.  In  private  life  the  benevolence  of 
his  heart  corresponded  -nith  the  endowments  of  his  mind,  difl'using  hon- 
our and  happiness  in  an  extensive  circle,  and  obtaining  permanent  ad- 
vantages for  those  who,  being  in  early  youth  elected  to  his  patronage, 
now  live  to  pour  the  tear  of  sorrow  over  his  honour'd  tomb. 

The  passage  in  this  obituary,  telling  how  the  Regulators 
were  calmed  to  peace  under  Tryon's  mild  and  beneficent  sway, 
is  calculated  to  provoke  a  smile;  for  it  will  be  remembered 
that  it  was  not  mildness  which  broke  up  their  revolt,  nor  was 
it  beneficence.  These  means  failed.  Then  the  military 
power  of  North  Carolina  was  employed,  and  proved  more 
potent. 


200  QOVEENOE    TBYON 

For  interment  tlie  remains  of  Governor  Tryon  were  carried 
to  the  burial-ground  of  the  old  parish  church  of  St.  Mary's 
in  Twickenham,  Middlesex,  and  deposited  in  an  altar-tomb, 
where  rest  many  other  members  of  his  family.  On  the  top 
of  this  tomb  are  three  inscriptions,  which  read : 

HERE  LIETH 

THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE 

SELINA,   COUNTESS   DOWAGER   FERRERS, 

WHO  DEPARTED  THIS  LIFE 

MARCH  20th,  1762, 

IN  THE  80th  YEAR  OF  HER  AGE. 

HERE  LIETH  THE   BODY 

OF  THE 

HONOURABLE  LADY  MARY  TRYON, 

WIDOW  OF  CHARLES  TRYON,  ESQ-- 

OF  BULWICK  IN  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, 

AND  DAUGHTER  OF  ROBERT,  EARL  FERRERS. 

SHE  DIED  MAY  17th,  1771,  AGED  68. 

ALSO  THE  BODY 

OF 

LIEUT.-GENERAL  WILLIAM  TRYON, 

SON  OF  CHARLES  TRYON  OF  NORTHAMPTON,  ESQ' 

AND  OF  THE  AFOREMENTIONED  LADY  MARY, 

LATE  GOVERNOR  OF  THE  PROVINCE  OF  NEW 

YORK  AND  COLONEL  OF  THE  29th  REGIMENT  OF  FOOT, 

WHO  DIED  THE  27Tn  OF  JANUARY,  1788, 

AGED  58  YEARS. 


■=3 
© 


o  Til 
•a  Ci 


n  2 

&  HI 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  201 

On  a  panel,  on  the  south  side  of  the  tomb,  is  an  inscription 
of  which  the  following  is  a  copy : 

HERE  ARE  DEPOSITED  THE  REMAINS 

OF 

MRS.  MARGARET  TRYON, 

LATE   OF   GREAT  YARMOUTH  IN  THE   COUNTY  OF   NORFOLK, 

RELICT  OF  THE  AFOREMENTIONED  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 

WILLIAM  TRYON, 

WHO  DEPARTED  THIS  LIFE  THE  I6th  DAY  OF  FEB',  1819, 

IN  THE  86th  YEAR  OF  HER  AGE. 

On  the  north  side  is  another  panel,  which  contains  two  in- 
scriptions, as  follows : 

HERE  LIETH  THE  BODY 

OF 

MISS  MARGARET  TRYON, 

DAUGHTER  OF  THE  LATE  LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 

TRYON  AND  MARGARET  TRYON, 

WHO  DIED  JULY  28th,  1791. 

AGED  30  YEARS. 


ALSO  OF 

MISS  ANN  TRYON, 

DAUGHTER  OF  THE  LATE  CHARLES  TRYON,  ESQ^ 

AND  OF 

LADY  MARY  TRYON  OF  BULWICK,  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, 

WHO  DIED  JULY  10th,  1822, 

AGED  82  YEARS. 


202  GOVEENOE    TETON 

Tlioiigh  many  other  men  of  note  (among  them  Alexander 
Pope)  are  interred  near  the  last  resting-place  of  Governor 
Tryon,  the  sepulchre  of  most  interest  to  Americans  is  in  a 
vault  beneath  the  chancel  of  the  adjoining  church ;  for  there, . 
unmarked  by  any  memorial,  lie  the  remains  of  the  old  cava- 
lier, Sir  William  Berkeley,  sometime  Governor  of  Virginia 
and  one  of  the  Lords  Proprietors  of  Carolina.  There,  too, 
rests  the  body  of  Lord  John  Berkeley,  also  one  of  the  Carolina 
Proprietors  and  a  brother  of  Sir  "William.  Of  the  remains 
of  Governor  Berkeley  a  most  remarkable  circumstance  is  re- 
lated by  the  Reverend  R.  S.  Cobbett,  in  his  Alemoriah  of 
Twickenham*  while  referring  to  the  interment  in  St.  Mary's 
Church  of  Admiral  Byron  (grandfather  of  Lord  Byron),  who 
died  in  1786.  This  is  to  the  effect  that  when  the  vault  was 
opened  the  body  of  Sir  William  Berkeley  was  foimd  lying  on 
the  ground  without  a  coffin,  cased  in  lead  exactly  fitted  to  the 
shape  of  the  body,  showing  the  form  of  the  features,  hands, 
feet,  and  even  nails.  The  lead  appeared  to  be  beaten  firmly 
over  the  body,  which  presented  the  appearance  of  a  figure  in 
armor. 

Though  they  were  not  contemporaries  (Berkeley  died  before 
Tryon  was  born),  it  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  these  two 
old  Governors  of  adjoining  American  colonies  should,  after 
years  of  turmoil  and  strife  spent  in  the  New  World,  be 
brought  together  in  a  quiet  church-yard  of  their  native  Eng- 
land— • 

"Among  familiar  names  to  rest, 

And  in  the  places  of  their  youth." 

Governor  Tryon  has  no  lineal  descendants  now  living, 
though  at  least  two  children  were  born  to  him — one  before 

*  Memorials  of  Twickenham,  p.  37. 


OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  203 

he  came  to  North  Carolina,  and  the  other  after  his  arrival  in 
the  colony.  In  an  old  letter,  so  stained  by  age  that  it  is 
almost  illegible,  written  at  Wilmington,  North  Carolina, 
by  Mrs.  John  Burg-win,  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Hugh  Waddell,  on 
the  22d  of  November,  1768,  I  find  the  passage:  "You  no 
doubt  heard  long  ago  that  Mrs.  Tryon  has  a  son."  This  little 
child  is  probably  the  same  whose  death  Governor  Tryon  an- 
nounced to  the  Earl  of  Hillsborough  on  the  31st  of  March, 
1760,  saying:  ''I  thank  you,  my  Lord,  for  yoiir  communica- 
tion of  the  happy  increase  in  Their  Majesty's  family  by  the 
birth  of  a  princess,  an  intelligence  that  afforded  me  much 
satisfaction,  though  I  received  it  while  under  affliction  for  the 
death  of  my  own  son."  Margaret  Tryon,  daughter  of  the 
Governor,  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  thirty.  She  was  born 
in  the  year  1761,  before  her  father  was  sent  to  North  Caro- 
lina. She  was  the  young  lady  who  made  such  a  narrow 
escape  from  death  by  fire  in  New  York,  on  December  29, 
1773,  when  the  Governor's  hovise,  in  Fort  George,  was  acci- 
dentally burned.  In  this  conflagration,  it  may  be  added,  all 
of  Tryon's  private  papers,  which  he  had  been  years  in  accu- 
mulating, were  destroyed.*  The  New  York  Assembly  voted 
him  five  thousand  pounds  to  indemnify  this  loss,  but  much  of 
the  proi^erty,  particularly  the  pajjers,  could  not  be  replaced 
at  any  price. 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  Governor  Tryon  is  now  on 
file  in  the  Principal  Registry  of  the  Probate,  Divorce,  and 
Admiralty  Division  of  the  High  Court  of  Justice,  in  Loudon, 
as  is  also  that  of  his  wife,  Mrs.  Margaret  Tryon.  Copies  of 
these  documents  are  now  before  me.     The  Governor,  in  his 

'  Documents  Relating  to  the  Colonial  History  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Vol.  VUI,  p.  407 


204  GOVEKNOR    TEYON 

will  (executed  November  21,  1787;  probated  February  21, 
1788)  styles  himself:  "William  Tryon,  of  Upper  Grosveuor 
Street,  in  the  County  of  Middlesex,  Esquire,  Lieutenant- 
General  of  His  Majesty's  Forces,  and  late  Governor  of  the 
Province  of  New  York,  in  North  America."  The  will  is  a 
trifle  too  complicated  in  its  terms  and  conditions  to  be  here 
set  forth.  It  disposes  of  an  estate  amounting  to  thousands 
of  pounds,  largely  invested  in  stock  of  the  Bank  of  England. 
Among  the  legatees  are  the  testator's  wife,  Mrs.  Margaret 
Tryon  (also  sole  executrix)  ;  his  daughter,  Margaret  Tryon ; 
his  four  sisters,  Ann,  Mary,  and  Harriot  Tryon,  and  Mrs. 
Sophia  Bulstrode;  his  friends.  Fountain  Elwin,  Eobert 
Palmer,  and  Edmund  Fanning;  Mary  Stanton,  of  the  town 
of  Northampton,  Elizabeth  Saunders  of  the  same  town,  and 
William  Saunders,  youngest  son  of  the  last  named.  It  was 
provided  that  the  legacy  to  Mrs.  Saunders  should  be  a  life 
estate,  with  a  reversion  to  any  children  thereafter  born  by  her, 
and  "not  be  subject  or  liable  to  the  intermeddling,  debts,  or 
engagements,  of  her  present  husband  or  any  after  taken  hus- 
band." It  was  also  provided  that  all  domestic  and  household 
servants  in  the  employ  of  the  testator  should  receive  one  year's 
wages  over  and  above  the  amounts  due  them  for  their  services. 
Mrs.  Tryon,  widow  of  the  Governor,  survived  her  husband 
many  years,  also  outliving  her  daiighter,  and  died  on  the 
10th  of  February,  1819,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of  her  age. 
In  1757,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Tryon,  then  a 
Captain  in  the  Foot-Guards,  the  Gentleman's  Magazine 
alluded  to  her  as :  "Miss  Wake,  of  Hanover  Street,  London." 
In  her  will  (executed  May  30,  1818;  probated  March  3, 
1819)  she  refers  to  herself  as:  "Margaret  Tryon,  formerly 
of  the  Parish  of  Saint  Luke's,  Chelsea,   in  the  County  of 


OF    NOBTH    CAEOLINA.  205 

Middlesex,  but  now  of  Great  Yarmouth,  in  the  County  of 
Norfolk,  widow  of  the  late  Lieuteuant-General  Tryon." 
Thoiigh  the  class  receiving  her  legacies  included  many  per- 
sons, the  most  niunerous  beneficiaries  of  Mrs.  Tryon's  will 
were  members  of  a  family  named  Elwin,  possibly  her  rela- 
tives, though  she  does  not  so  state.  The  will  begins  by  setting 
forth  that,  owing  to  the  previous  death  of  her  daughter  Mar- 
garet, the  sum  of  fifteen  thousand  pounds  (left  by  the  father 
of  the  testator,  Mrs.  Tryon)  has  come  into  her  possession  as 
representative  of  her  said  daughter.  Disposition  of  her  prop- 
erty is  then  made  as  follows:  Thomas  Horatio  Batchelor,  of 
Horstead,  in  the  County  of  JSTorfolk,  seventeen  hundred 
pounds ;  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Ficklin,  of  the  city  of  !N"orwich 
(widow  of  the  Reverend  Robert  Ficklin),  fifteen  hundred 
pounds ;  Hastings  Elwin,  late  of  Sloane  Street,  Chelsea,  three 
hundred  poimds;  Fountain  Elwin  (son  of  Hastings),  one 
hundred  pounds;  Harriot  Elwin  (daughter  of  Hastings), 
fifty  pounds ;  Reverend  Robert  Elwin,  of  the  city  of  jSTorwich 
(son  of  the  late  Robert  Elwin),  one  hundred  pounds;  Phil- 
ippa  Elwin,  Caleb  Elwin,  and  Fountain  John  Elwin 
(daughter  and  sons  of  the  late  Thomas  Elwin),  one  hundred 
pounds  each;  Thomas  Henry  Elwin  (son  of  the  said  Foim- 
tain),  three  hundred  pounds;  Rebecca  and  Philippa  Elwin 
(children  of  the  said  Fountain),  twenty  pounds  each;  Mrs. 
Virtue  Elwin,  of  the  city  of  Norwich,  widow,  one  hundred 
poimds;  Major  Fountain  Elwin,  of  His  Majesty's  Forty- 
fourth  Regiment  of  Foot,  one  hundred  pounds  and  a  silver 
waiter;  Lieutenant  Jonathan  Wrench,  late  of  His  Majesty's 
Forty-fourth  Regiment  of  Foot,  fifty  pounds;  Mrs.  Ann 
Wrench,  of  Islington,  widow,  one  hundred  povmds  per  annum 
during  her  natural  life ;  Miss  Wrench  (daughter  of  Mrs.  Ann 


206  GOVEENOB    TKYON 

Wrench),  one  Inmdred  pounds;  Mrs.  Ann  Tieed  (widow  of 
Surgeon  William  Reed),  fifty  pounds;  Mrs.  Dorothy  Longe, 
of  Coltishall,  in  the  County  of  Norfolk,  widow,  one  hundred 
pounds;  Captain  Robert  Longe,  of  the  East  Norfolk  Militia, 
one  hundred  pounds  per  annum  for  his  natural  life ;  William 
Pennington,  and  his  wife,  Penelope,  of  the  Hot  Wells,  Bris- 
tol, the  remainder  of  a  lease,  owned  by  testator,  on  property 
in  Sloane  Street,  Chelsea,  occupied  by  Lady  Skipwith,  and 
one  hundred  pounds  additional  to  the  said  Penelope  Penning- 
ton ;  Mrs.  Howard  (wife  of  William  Howard,  of  Sloane 
Street,  Chelsea),  one  hundred  pounds;  Mrs.  Mary  Leigh 
Bennett  (daughter  of  the  Reverend  John  Leigh  Bennett), 
one  hundred  pounds  and  a  diamond  ring;  Miss  Mary  Tryou, 
of  Winchester,  spinster,  one  hundred  pounds;  Miss  Ann 
Tryon,  formerly  of  Hounslow,  spinster,  fifty  pounds ;  Miss 
Margaret  Burton,  of  Knightsbridge,  spinster,  twenty-five 
pounds;  Mrs.  Mary  Barrett,  of  Great  Yarmouth,  widow, 
twenty  pounds ;  Mrs.  Sparrow,  wife  of  a  carpenter  at  Knights- 
bridge, five  guineas.  To  her  servants,  William  Rix  and  Ann 
Newborn,  she  bequeathed  twenty  pounds  each,  and  one  year's 
wages  in  addition  to  what  should  be  due  them  at  the  time 
of  her  death,  together  with  mourning ;  to  Mary  Harbord  and 
Sarah  Saxton,  two  other  servants,  were  bequeathed  ten  poimds 
each,  one  year's  additional  wages,  and  mourning.  Fifty 
guineas  went  to  the  poor  of  the  parish  of  Saint  Luke's,  Chel- 
sea; and  Fountain  Elwin,  of  Enfield,  was  named  as  resi- 
duary legatee!.  The  executors  were  Fountain  Elwin,  of 
Enfield,  Major  Fountain  Elwin,  of  the  Forty-fourth  Regi- 
ment of  Foot,  and  Hastings  Elwiu,  formerly  of  Sloane  Street, 
Chelsea. 


OF    NOETH    CAROLINA.  207 

It  is  noted  at  the  end  of  Mrs.  Tryon's  will  that  a  bequest 
of  twenty  guineas  to  Captain  Robert  Palmer,  of  Shrewsbury, 
had  been  stricken  out.  Possibly  Captain  Palmer  had  died. 
It  is  probable  that  this  was  the  same  Robert  Palmer  who  had 
been  a  member  of  Governor  Tryon's  Council  in  North  Caro- 
lina, as  the  councilor  went  to  England,  as  heretofore  noted. 
Palmer,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  also  mentioned  in  the  Gov- 
ernor's will.  William  Pennington,  mentioned  in  Mrs.  Try- 
on's  will,  was  the  same  who  had  been  Comptroller  of  Cus- 
toms at  Cape  Fear,  and  had  there  encountered  so  much  oppo- 
sition in  attempting  to  execute  the  duties  of  his  oihce.  In  the 
fashionable  English  resort  at  Bath,  he  was  master  of  cere- 
monies for  some  time. 

CONCLUSION. 

This  contribution  to  the  biographical  and  historical  liter- 
ature of  North  Carolina  is  now  finished.  Many  writers  there 
are  who  could  have  performed  the  task  more  creditably ;  but, 
as  no  one  seems  to  have  been  moved  to  such  an  eifort,  I  have 
thought  it  well  to  put  forth  what  I  have  been  able  to  learn  of 
the  life  of  our  sometime  friend  and  final  enemy.  The  enmity 
of  Tryon,  however — his  career  in  the  Revolution — has  no 
direct  bearing  on  the  history  of  North  Carolina ;  and  I  believe 
that  it  was  against  his  personal  inclination  ever  to  engage  in 
hostilities  against  any  of  the  American  colonies.  Even  from 
a  stand-point  of  policy,  if  we  give  him  credit  for  no  good 
qualities  whatever,  it  must  be  conceded  that  he  had  nothing  to 
gain  and  all  to  lose  by  a  war  between  the  colonies  and  their 
mother  country.  But  when  the  time  came  that  no  man  could 
serve  both  Britain  and  America,  he  chose  to  array  himself 


208  GOVEENOR    TETON 

in  the  cause  of  his  own  coiintrv,  and  under  the  banner  of  his 
royal  benefactor,  with  feelings,  mayhap,  akin  to  those  voiced 
in  after  years  by  a  naval  hero  who  offered  the  toast,  with  ref- 
erence to  America :  "Our  country !  In  her  intercourse  with 
foreign  nations,  may  she  always  be  in  the  right ;  but  our 
country,  right  or  wrong."  In  the  bloody  tribunal  of  war  the 
cause  of  independence  won,  and  it  may  be  that  Great  Britain, 
as  well  as  America,  is  better  for  the  separation.  This  mutual 
benefit  was  anticipated  by  Governor  Jonathan  Trumbull,  of 
Connecticut,  as  early  as  the  23d  of  April,  1778,  when,  in 
his  military  correspondence  with  General  Tryon,  he  said: 
"The  British  nation  may,  perhaps,  find  us  as  affectionate  and 
valuable  friends  in  peace  as  we  now  are  detennined  and  fatal 
enemies,  and  will  derive  from  that  friendship  more  solid 
and  real  advantage  than  the  most  sanguine  can  expect  from 
conquest." 


NDEX, 


Acklin,  Christopher,  wounded  at 
Alamance,    129. 

Adams,  John,  quoted,  185. 

"Alabama''  cruiser,  1G9. 

Alamance,  Battle  of.  7-t,  77,  120  et 
scq.,  1.52-153.  100,  166167,  170, 
184.  186,  192. 

Alamance  Battle  Monument,  139. 

Alamance  Creeks,  138-139;  see  also 
Alamans.  Allemance,  Great  Ala- 
mance and  Little  Alamance. 

"Alamans"  probable  origin  of  Ala- 
mance,  138. 

Alexander,   Abraham,   85. 

Alexander,  Moses,  in  Cherokee 
boundary  expedition,  57;  act.s 
against  Regulators,  95-96,  116, 
119,  168.   172. 

Alexander  family,  26. 

"Allemance,"  138,  160;  see  also 
Alamance. 

Alva,  Duke  of.  10. 

American  Historical  Association, 
Publications,  quoted,  78,  88, 
152,  170. 

Anderson,   Fort,   25. 

Annual  Register,  quoted.  106,  180- 
181. 

Anson  County  (N.  C),  90,  92, 
119,   168. 

Antigua,  Island  of,  191. 

Ashe,  John,  leads  demonstration 
against  sloop  "Diligence,"  38, 
41;  acts  agoinst  Regulators,  96, 
118,  124,  154;  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot. 167. 

Ashe,  John  Baptista,  acts  against 
Regulators,  118:  captured  and 
beaten,  124-125;  Revolutionary 
patriot.  167;  elected  Governor, 
167. 

AiShmore.    James,    172. 

"Atticus"  letter,  written  by  Mau- 
rice Moore,  156-164;  see  also  69, 
100,  138,  155. 


Avery,  Waightstill,  Trustee  of  Lib- 
erty Hall,  26;  captured  by  Reg- 
ulators, 114. 

Bagge,  Traucott,  142. 

Baptists,  28-29.  148;  disclaim  Reg- 
ulators, 188-190. 

Barbadoes,  46. 

Barrett,  Mary,  206. 

Barringcr.  Paul,  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot, 183. 

Bassett,  John  Spencer,  quoted,  78, 
88,   152,   170. 

Batchelor,  Thomas  Horatio,  205. 

Bath    (England),    207. 

Bath    (N.   C),    15,   48. 

Battle,  Kemp  P.,  quoted.  75. 

Beasley,   Fearnauglit,   130. 

Beasley,  ,  killed  at  Ala- 
mance,  130. 

Beaufort  County  (N.  C),  118, 
124,   131. 

Bedford,  William,  acts  again.st 
Regulators,  96. 

Benedict,  David,  Baptist  historian, 
quoted,  132,   148,  188. 

Bennet,  John  Leigh,  206. 

Bennet,  Slary  Leigh,  206. 

Benton,  Samuel,  acts  again.st  Reg- 
ulators, 96. 

Berger,  George  Henry,  acts  against 
Regulators,  116. 

Berkeley,  Lord  John,  his  grave 
near  Tryon's,  202. 

Berkeley.  Sir  William,  Governor  of 
Virginia,  his  grave  near  Tryon's, 
202;  remarkable  state  of  his 
body  when  exhumed,  202. 

Berrv,  Charles.  Chief  Justice  and 
Councilor,  46-48. 

Bertie  County   (N.  C),  83. 

Bethabara ;   see  Moravians. 

Betham's  Baronetage,  quoted,  50, 
191. 


210 


INDEX. 


"Black  Boys"  blow  up  Waddell's 
ammunition,    122,    127,    172. 

Blackledge,  Kiehard,  acts  against 
Regulators,   118. 

Bladen  County    (N.  C),  43. 

Bond,  Sweeting,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Booklet,  quoted,  44, 

Boonesboro  (Ky.),  101, 

Borg,  ,  a  Regulator,  142. 

Boston    (Mass.),  49,   154. 

Boston  Gazette,  quoted,   132. 

Botetourt,  Lord,  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia, 59. 

Boundary,  Cherokee,  Tryon's  ex- 
pedition to  settle,  55-50,  157. 

Brevard,  Ephraini,  Trustee  of  Lib- 
erty Hall,  26, 

Brevard  family,  27, 

Bright,  Simon,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118, 

Bristol    (England),   206, 

Brown,  Sales,  190, 

Brown,  William,  a  Regulator,  145, 

Brumfield,  Ezckiel,  190, 

Brunswick  (N,  C),  15-16,  25,  31, 
36,  38,  41,  58,  60,  62-63, 

Brunswick  County  (N,  C),  43,  74, 
83,   118, 

Bryan,  Ncedham,  Assembljnnan, 
83;  act.s  against  Regulators, 
123,   168;   sec  also  154-155, 

Brj-an,   Samuel,    175, 

Bryan,  William,  Ensign,  killed  at 
Alamance,  118.  129. 

Brvan,  William,  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot,  129,   168. 

Bryan  family,  129. 

Bryant,  Thomas,  wounded  five 
times  at  Alamance,  129-130. 

Bull,  William,  Governor  of  South 
Carolina,  .59,   113, 

Bullock,  William,  acts  against 
Regulators,  96,   117-118, 

Bulstrode,   Sophia,   204. 

Bulwick  Park,  a  seat  of  the  Trvon 
family  in  England,  11,  200,  " 

Burgwin,   Mrs,   .John,   203. 

Burke,  Edmund.  73. 

Burke,  Thomas,  73. 


Burke,  William,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 118, 

Burke  County  (N,  C),  origin  of 
its  name  in  doubt,  73, 

Burke's  Extinct  and  Dormant  Bar- 
onetages, quoted,  51, 

Burke's  General  Armorv,  quoted, 
12. 

Burke's  Peerage,  quoted,  39, 

Burke  Square  in  Raleigh,  68, 

Burlington   (N,  C),  139. 

Burr,  Aaron,  84, 

Burrington,  George,  Governor,  49, 
99, 

Burrington,  Jr.,  George,  49, 

Burton,  Margaret,  205, 

Bute,  Lord,  32. 

Bute  County  (N.  C),  72,  90,  118, 
120,  168,  184. 

Butler,  John,  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot, not  a  Regulator,   174. 

Butler,  William,  a  Regulator,  92, 
97,  104,  115,  148,  170,  172,  174- 
175, 

Byron,  Admiral,  liis  grave  near 
Tryon's,   202, 

Byron,  Lord,  202, 

Cabarrus  County    (N,  C),   122. 

Caldwell,  David,  87-88 ;  Life  of,  by 
Caruthers;   see  Caruthers,  Eli  W, 

Calder,   Robert,   44, 

Camden,  Earl  of,  73, 

Camden  County  (N,  C),  73. 

Cameron,  Alexander,  Indian  Agent, 
57, 

Cameron.  Paul  C,  146. 

Campbell,  Charles,  Virginia  histo- 
rian, quoted,  60. 

Campbell,  Farquard,  acts  against 
Regulators,   118, 

Campbell,  John,  Assemblvman,  83, 
107. 

Campbell,  Robert,  acts  against 
Regulators,  117, 

Cape  Fear  section  of  North  Caro- 
lina, 13,  15,  31-46,  99,  179,  186, 
207, 

Caressy,  Thonuis,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129, 


INDEX. 


211 


Carteret  County  (N.  C),  117-118, 
124. 

Caruthers,  Eli  W.,  biographer  and 
liistorian,  quoted,  81-82,  84-87, 
132,   135,   149-151,   179,   187. 

Caruthers,   Robert,    172. 

Castle  Dobbs,  seat  of  Governor 
Dobbs  in  Ireland,  9;  Governor's 
house  in  North  Carolina  named 
for,  62-63. 

Castle  Tryon,  Governor's  house  in 
North  Carolina,  62-03. 

Caswell,  Richard,  Assemblyman, 
83;  acts  against  Regulators, 
109,  118,  120;  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot, 167;  commands  at  Battle 
of  Moore's  Creek,  177,  186;  see 
also  176,  184-185. 

Catawba  River,  57. 

Chambersburg  (Pa.),  197. 

Chapel  Hill   (N.  C),  27,  86. 

Charleston  (S.  C),  15,  59,  122, 
168. 

Charlotte    (N.  C),  26-27,  85. 

Chatham,  William  Pitt,  Earl  of, 
73-74. 

Chelsea  (England),  204,  206. 

Cherokee  boundary.  Trvon's  expe- 
dition to  settle,  55-59,  157. 

Cheshire,  Joseph  P.lonnt,  quoted, 
19. 

Church  of  England,  18-19,  22-24, 
28-29.  189-190. 

Clark.  Thomas  (General),  acts 
against  Regulators,  117-118; 
Revolutionary   patriot,   167. 

Clark,  Thomas  (private),  wounded 
at  Alamance.  129. 

Clash,  Benjamin,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance. 129. 

Clewell,  John  H..  historian,  quoted, 
21-22,  127,   134,  141-143. 

Clinton,   Sir  Henry,   167-168,   180. 

Clinton.  Richnrd,  acts  against 
Regulators.  118,  168. 

Cobhett,  R.  S.,  English  historian, 
quoted,   202. 

Cobham,  Thomas.  Surgeon  in  Try- 
on's  army.  118. 

Cochrane,  Benjamin,  172. 


Coffer,  Lewis,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 96. 

Cogdell,  Richard,  acts  against 
Regulators,  118,  168;  seizes  ar- 
tillery at  New  Bern,  69. 

Collet,  John  Abraham,  acts  against 
Regulators,  96. 

Colonial  Officer  and  His  Times,  see 
Waddell. 

Coltishall   (England),  206. 

Columbia  University,  see  King's 
College. 

Connecticut,  196,  208. 

Cooper,  Samuel,  of  Boston,  attacks 
Tryon  under  pseudonym  of  "Le- 
onidas,"   152,   154. 

Companv's  Shops   (N.  C),  139. 

Concord"  Battle  of,  183. 

Congressional  Record,  quoted,  182. 

Copeland,  James,  a  Regulator,  145. 

Cornell,  Samuel,  Councilor,  48-49, 
69. 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  179-180. 

Costin,  Henry,  woiraded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Courtney,  William,  190. 

Cowan's  Ford,  Battle  of,  57. 

Cox,  Herman,  a  Regulator,  145. 

Craven  Countv  (N.  C),  117-118, 
124,   129,   168. 

Cray,  William,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118,  168. 

Cromwell,    Oliver,    133. 

Cross  Creek  (Favetteville,  N.  C), 
36,  179,  182-183. 

Culloden,  Battle  of,  177. 

Cumberland  County  (N.  C),  74, 
90,  118. 

Currency,  paper,  85-86. 

Curtis,  Alexander,  soldier  under 
Tryon,  129. 

Dalrymplo,  .John,  commanding  offi- 
cer of  Fort   .Johnston,  43-44. 

T)alr\Tnp!e.  Sir  .John,  44. 

nalryraple,  John   (Lord  Stair),  44. 

Dnrtmouth,  Earl   of,   175. 

Dartmouth  College,  84. 

Daves.  John,  buys  part  of  Palace 
grounds  at  New  Bern,  70, 


212 


INDEX. 


Daves,  Jolin  Piigh,  70-71. 

Davidson,  George,  iu  Cherokee 
boundary  expedition,  57. 

Davidson,  William,  in  Cherokee 
boundary  expedition,  57;  killed 
in  Revolution,  57. 

Davis,  George,  quoted,  39. 

Davis,  James,  his  collection  of 
laws,  quoted,  72. 

Davis,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  103. 

Davis,  Junius,  quoted,  100. 

Davis,   Robert,    172. 

Da\-is,  Sam,  136. 

Defence  of  North  Carolina,  by 
Jones;   see  Jones,  Jo.  Sea  well. 

De  Graffenried,  Baron  Christo- 
pher,  17. 

Dent,  ,  killed   by  Tories, 

178. 

DeRosset,  Lewis  Henry,  Council- 
or, 46-47 ;  acts  against  Regula- 
tors,  95,    117. 

DeRosset,  Moses  John,  Mayor  of 
Wilmington,  45-47. 

Devereux,  Robert,  Earl  of  Essex, 
ancestor  of  Governor  Trvon, 
11-12. 

Devinnev,  Samuel,  a  Regulator,  97, 
104,    il5,    178. 

Devo's   Ferry,    182. 

Dewey,  George,  G(5. 

Dexter,  Franklin  Bowditeh,  quoted, 
79. 

"Diagawekee"  Indian  name  for 
Tryon,   58. 

"Diligence"  sloop  of  war,  armed 
demonstration  against  by  colon- 
ists, 32,  30-39,  44. 

Dissenters  befriended  by  Tryon, 
18-19. 

Dobbins,  Alexander,  acts  against 
Regulators,  94-95,  116,  168; 
Revolutionary  patriot,  95. 

Dobbs,  Arthur,  Governor  of  North 
Carolina.  9;  services  in  Ireland, 
9;  Tryon  Lieutenant-Governor 
under,  9;  applies  for  leave  of  ab- 
sence from  colony.  13;  advo- 
cates Trvfin's  plan  for  postal 
system,   14 ;   dies  at  Brunswick, 


15;  succeeded  as  Governor  by 
Tr\-on,  16;  churchman,  19,  22- 
23;  his  house  at  Brunswick,  02- 
63;  county  named  for,  72;  Gov- 
ernor during  French  and  Indian 
War.   169. 

Dobbs,  Edward  Briee,  son  of  Gov- 
ernor Dobbs  and  Councilor,  46, 
49,  62. 

Dobbs  Castle,  seat  of  Governor 
Dobbs  in  Ireland,  9 ;  Governor's 
hou.se  in  North  Carolina  named 
for,  62  63. 

Dobbs  County  (N.  C),  72,  109, 
117-118,    124,   175. 

Docket  entries  made  at  Hillsbor- 
ough bj'  Regulators,  190. 

Draper,  Sir  William,  visits  Tryon 
at  New  Bern,  59,  65 ;  writes 
Latin  quatrain  on  Tryon  Palace, 
65. 

Dry,  William.  Councilor  and  Col- 
lector of  Customs,  42,  46,  48. 

Duel  between  Stanlv  and  Spaight, 
47. 

Dukinfield.  Sir  Nathaniel,  Coun- 
cilor. 50-51.  69. 

Dukintield,   Natluiniel,   50. 

Dukinfield,    Sir    Robert,    50. 

Dukinfield,  William,  50. 

Dunniore,  .John  Murray,  Earl  of, 
and  Governor  of  Virginia,  166, 
194. 

Duplin  County  (N.  C),  43,  124, 
168. 

Early,  Jubnl  A.,  compared  with 
Tryon,   197. 

Eaton,  Thomas,  supercedes  Wil- 
liam .Tohnston  as  Colonel,  120. 

Edenton    (N.  C),  15,  18,  36. 

Edenton  .Academy.  18. 

Education  in  North  Carolina,  pro- 
moted by  Tryon,  18,  20.  23,  25- 
28. 

Edwards.  Isaac.  on  Cherokee 
boundary  expedition,  57:  nets 
against  Resulators,  91.  00.   118. 

Edwards.  Morgan,  quoted,  132,  148, 
188-189. 


INDEX. 


213 


Elwin,  Caleb,  205. 
Elwin,    Fountain,   204-20G. 
Elwin,     Fountain     (Major),    205- 

206. 
Elwin,  Fountain  John,  205. 
Elwin,  Harriot,  205. 
Elwin,    Hastings,    205-206. 
Elwin,    Pliilippa    (daughter   of 

Fountain).  205. 
Elwin,   Philippa    (daughter   of 

Thomas),  205. 
Elwin,  Rebecca,   205. 
Elwin,  Robert,  205. 
Elwin,  Eev.  Robert.  205. 
Elwin,  Thomas,  205. 
Elwin,  Tliomas,  Henry,  205. 
Elwin,   Virtue,   205. 
Emerson,  James,  a  Regulator,  145. 
Enfield   (England),  206. 
Eno  River,  87. 
Episcopal   Church;   see  Church  of 

England. 
Essex  County  (England),  11. 
Essex,  Morant's  History  of,  quoted, 

10. 
Essex.  Earl  of;  see  Devereux. 

Fanning.  David,  Tory  marauder, 
84. 

Fanning,  Edmund,  78-84;  Trus- 
tee of  Queen's  College,  26;  on 
Cherokee  boundary  expedition, 
57 ;  acts  against  Regulators,  95- 
96.  118;  indicted,  79-81,  97; 
lampooned  by  Rednap  Howell, 
102-10.3;  assaulted  by  Regula- 
tors, 105;  Assemblyman,  111: 
Tory  in  Revolution,  116;  see  also 
29,   135,   1.37.   150-151,  20-4. 

Favetteville  (N.  C),  see  Cross 
Creek. 

Favetteville  Street  in  Raleigh,  68. 

Fenner,  Robert,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators,  118,   168. 

Ferguson,  Ann,   130. 

Ferguson.  ,  killed  at  Ala- 
mance.   130. 

Ferrel.  .Tames.  190, 

Ferrers,  Earl  of;  see  Shirley. 

Few,   Benjamin,   135. 


Few,  James,  a  Regulator,  87;  in- 
dicted, 115;  hanged,  133;  his 
character,  133-136. 

Few,  Sallie,   135. 

Few,  William,  a  Regulator,  134, 
100,  161. 

Few,  William,  Revolutionary  pa- 
triot, 135. 

Few,  William  (son  of  James),  135. 

Few  family  of  Georgia,  135. 

Ficklin,  Mary  Ann,  205. 

Ficklin,  Robert,  205, 

Field,  Jeremiah,  a  Regulator,  104, 
115,  170,  177-180. 

Field,   John,    175. 

Field,  Jo.seph,   177. 

Field,   Robert,    178. 

Field.  \\'illiam,  a  Regulator,  178. 

Filson  Club  of  Kentucky,   101. 

Fisher,   Fort,  24. 

Fort  Anderson,  25. 

Fort   Fisher,   24. 

Fort  George  (N.  Y. ),  burned,  with 
Tryon's  papers,   75,  203. 

Fort '.Johnston,  37,  43-44. 

Forsyth  County    (N.  C),  21. 

Fowle,   Daniel    G.,    Governor,    139. 

Fragments  of  Revolutionary  His- 
tory, bj'  Hunt ;  see  Hunt,  Gail- 
lard. 

Franceis,   family  of,   11. 

Francus,  family  of,  11. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  72. 

Franklin   County    (N.   C).   72. 

Freasure,  Andrew,  wounded  at  Al- 
amance. 129. 

Frederick  Town    (Md.),   182. 

French,  family  of,   11. 

French,  A.  D.'  Weld,  quoted,  11. 

French  and  Indian  War,  46-47, 
169. 

Friends,  Society  of;  see  Quakers. 

Frohock.  Alexander,  85. 

Frohock,  Elizabeth,  85. 

Frohock,  .John,  84-85,  Commis- 
sioner to  run  Cherokee  bound- 
ary, 56-57 ;  lampooned  by  Red- 
nap  Howell,  102-103;  Clerk  of 
Court.  81 :  acts  against  Regula- 
tors, 96. 


214 


INDEX. 


Frohock,  Thomas,  85. 

Frohoek,  William,  on  Cherokee 
boundarv  expedition,  57 ;  Dep- 
uty Sheriff,  85. 

Fruit,  John,  a  Regulator,  115,  170. 

Fullerton,  William,  wounded  at 
Alamance,  129. 

Gage,  Tliomas,  Commander  of 
British  forces,  sends  artillery  to 
Tryon,  115. 

Garnish,  Thomas,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Garvin,  John,  135. 

Garvin,   Sallie,   135. 

Gaston,  Alexander,  seizes  artillery 
at  New  Bern,  69. 

Gaston,  William,  quoted,  75. 

Gazette,  North  Carolina,  quoted,  32. 

"Gelaspie"  (Gillespie),  148;  see 
also   Gillespie. 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  quoted,  83, 
199,  204. 

George,  Fort  (N.  Y.),  burned  with 
Tryon's  papers,  75,  203. 

George  Street  in  New  Bern,  71. 

Georgia.  135. 

Germantown,  Battle  of,  167. 

Gilbert,  William,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Gillespie,  Alexander,  acts  against 
Regulators,  118. 

Gillespie,  Daniel,  a  Regulator  and 
Revolutionary  patriot.  174. 

Gillespie,  John,  a  Regulator  and 
Revohitionary  patriot,  174. 

Gillespie;  see  also  "Gelaspie." 

Glasgow,  James,  72-73. 

Glasgow  County   (N.  C).  72-73. 

Gloucester    (England),   55. 

Gordon,  Lord  Adam,  visits  North 
Carolina,  Ifl. 

Gordon.  Duke  of,  10. 

Gniir.  .Tflin  ^Michael,  21,  142. 

Granville,  Lord,  54. 

Granville  County  (N.  C),  83,  90, 
95-90,  100  101. 

Granville  Tobacco  Path,  121. 

Gray.  John,  nets  against  Regula- 
tors,  88  89,   96. 


Great  Alamance  Camp,  122. 
Groat   Alamance  Creek,   125,   138- 

139. 
Great  Bridge,  Battle  of,  166-107. 
Great  Yarmouth    (England),   201, 

205-206. 
"Great    Wolf,"    Indian    name    for 

Tryon,  58,   157. 
Greene,  Nathanael,  73,  180. 
Gicenc  County  (N.  C),  73. 
Grifiln,    Moses,    wounded    at    Ala- 
mance, 129. 
Grosvenor   Street   in   London;    see 

Upper  Grosvenor  Street. 
Guilford  County  (N.  C),  170,  173, 

175. 
"Gunpowder  Plot"  bv  Regulators, 

122,  127,  172. 

Hadley,  .Tosluia.  172. 

Halifax,  Earl  of,   13,  16. 

Halifax    (N.  C),  100. 

Halifax  Counfv  (N.  C).  85,  90, 
168. 

Hall.  .James,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance,  129. 

Hamilton,  Matthew,  a  Regulator, 
170. 

Hamilton,  Ninian,   115. 

Hamilton,  Ninian  Beall.  115,  170. 

Hamilton.  Thomas,  a  Regulator, 
114. 

Hanover  County   (Va.),  100. 

Hanover  Street  in  London,  12,  204. 

Harbord,  Mary,   206. 

Hargravc,  Will  Loft  in.  quoted.  11 7. 

Harnett.  Cornelius,  Assemblyman, 
83.   Ill  ;    see  also  41,   168. 

Harper,  Elizabeth.  130. 

Harper,  ,  killed  at  Ala- 
mance, 130. 

Harrimrton,  Charles,  wounded  at 
Alamance,  129. 

Harris.  David.   190. 

Harris.  Robert  (Granville  Coun- 
ty), nets  against  Rcg\ilalnrs.  93, 
95-96. 

Harris,  Robert  CMccklenburg  Coun- 
ty), acts  against  Regulators,  93, 
96.   119. 


INDEX. 


215 


Harris,  Tyree,  escapes  from  Regu- 
lators, 105. 

Hart,  Nathaniel,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators,   118. 

Hart,  Thomas,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 89,  92,  90,  118;  assaulted 
M'  Regulators,  105. 

Hartzo,  John  Philip,  a  Regulator, 
97. 

Harvard  College,   85. 

Harvey,  John,  168. 

Haspll,  James,  Councilor,  Chief 
Justice,  and  Acting  Governor, 
46-48,  61,   190. 

Haslin,  Thomas,  Surgeon  in  Try- 
on's  army,  118. 

Ilaw  River.   1.38. 

Hawfields   (N.  C),  49. 

Hawk,  Dominicus,  Surgeon  in  Try- 
on's  army,  96. 
.  Hawkins,    Benjamin,    120. 

Hawkins,  Sr.,  Philemon,  acts 
against  Regulators,  118,  120- 
121,  12.3,  125,  168;  Revolution- 
ary patriot.  183. 

Hawkins,  Jr.,  Philemon,  acts 
against  Regulators,  120-121; 
Revolutionary  patriot,  183-184. 

Hawkins,  William,  Governor,  121. 

Hawks,  Francis  L.,  quoted.  12,  135. 

Hawks,  John,  architect  cf  Tryon 
Palace,   12,   64,   72. 

Haywood,  John.  Tennessee  histo- 
rian,   quoted.    185. 

Haywood,  William,  Asserablvman. 
111. 

Henderson,  Archibald,  101. 

Henderson,  Leonard,  Chief  Justice, 
101. 

Henderson,  Richard,  Judge,  100- 
101 ;  his  court  broken  up  bv 
Regulators,  104,  106,  109-110"; 
refuses  to  re-open  court,  109- 
110;  his  property  burned  by 
Regulators,  109-110;  denounced 
by  Regulators,  114:  presides 
over  trial  of  Regulators  for 
treason,  144;  see  also  96,  137, 
178,   187,   190. 

Henderson  familv,  101. 


Henley,  Peter,  Chief  .Ju.stice,  48. 

Heron,  Benjamin,  Councilor,  46, 
48 ;  acts  against  Regulators,  96. 

Hewes,  Joseph,  Assemblyman,  111. 

Highlanders,  Scotch,  Tories  in  the 
Revolution,    177,   ct  seq. 

Hillsborough,  Earl  of,  58,  124,  148, 
170-171,    191,    19.3. 

HilLsborough  (N.  C),  79,  87,  et 
seq. 

Hinton,  John,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 96,  109,  116,  118,  120- 
121,  168;  Revolutionary  patriot, 
168,  177. 

Hinton,  Mary  Billiard,  quoted,  96. 

Hiscock,  William,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Historical  and  Genealogical  Reg- 
ister, North  Carolina,  quoted, 
44,  50. 

Hoar,  George  F.,  183. 

Hogan,    Isaiah,    190. 

Holland,  185;  see  also  Nether- 
lands. 

Holt,  Michael,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 89;  assaulted  by  Regu- 
lators, 105;  his  course  in  the 
Revolution.   130. 

Holt,   Thomas   M.,   Governor,    139. 

Hooper,  William,  108;  assaulted 
by  Regulators,  92,  104,  137. 

Horstcad    (England),   205. 

Hot  Wells   (England),  206. 

Houuslow    (England),  200. 

Houston.  William,  Stamp-Master, 
32;    forced   to   resign.   33-34,   61. 

Howai-d,  Martin,  Councilor  and 
Chief  Justice,  48-50,  99,  106; 
refuses  to  hold  court,  109-110; 
presides  over  trial  of  Regula- 
tors for  treason,  144,  151. 

Howard,  William.  206. 

Howe,  Robert,  Assemblyman,  83, 
111;  acts  against  Regulators, 
96.  117:  Rovolutionirv  patriot, 
110;   burns   Norfolk,   196. 

Howell,  Rednap,  a  Regulator, 
lampoons  Fanning  and  Frohock, 
102-103;  his  fate  unknown,  103; 
.see  also,  104,   115,  148,  172. 


21G 


INDEX. 


Howell,  Ricliard,  Governor  of  New 
Jersey,   103. 

Hunt,  Charles,   85. 

Hunt,  Gaillard,  quoted,  182. 

Hunter,  C.  L.,  quoted,  98. 

Hunter,  James,  a  Eegulator,  in 
riot  at  Hillsborough,  104;  in- 
dicted, 115;  his  farm  devas- 
tated, 144;  applies  for  pardon, 
170;  Governor  Martin's  opinion 
of,  170-171;  his  course  in  the 
Revolution,    172- 173,    170. 

Hunter,   Theophilus,    121.. 

Hunter,  Jr.,  Theophilus,  121. 

Hunter's  Lodge,  seat  of  Theophi- 
lus Hunter,  116,   121,  154. 

Husband,  Hcrmon,  a  Regulator,  in 
riot  at  Hillsborough,  104;  ar- 
rested, 02 ;  expelled  from  As- 
sembly and  imprisoned.  107- 
109:  indicted,  115;  flees  from 
Battle  of  Alamance,  137;  his 
farm  devastated,  143;  partici- 
pant in  Whiskey  Insurrection  in 
Pennsylvania.  138;  see  also,  133, 
148,   l'72,   187,   190. 

Hvdp,  Lord,  Postmaster-General  of 
'Great    Britain,    14-15. 

Indians;  see  Cherokees,  Shawnese, 
Tusearoras. 

Indian  Trading  Path  at  Hillsbor- 
ough, 145. 

Iredell,  James,  51,  54-55,  69,  72, 
105,  107,  173. 

Ireland,   9.   62,    180-181. 

Islington    (England),  205. 

Jamaica,  Island  of,  55. 

Jarvis,  Thomas  J.,  Governor,  68. 

Jarvis, ,  a  Regulator,  142. 

Jeffries,  Judge,    163.   165. 
Johnston,    Gabriel,    Governor,    19, 

47-48,   73. 
Johnston,    Samuel,    Governor,    73 ; 

.Assemblyman,    111,    1C8;    draws 

"Riot   Act."   112. 
Johnston,   William,   removed    from 

command  of  Bute  militia,  120. 
Johnston, ,  a  Regulator,  162. 


"Johnston  Act,"  112,  162,  164; 
English  opinion  of,  113;  see 
al.so  "Riot  Act." 

Johnston  County  (N.  C.),  73,  83, 
90.  109,  117-118,  123-124,  168. 

Johnston,   Fort,   37,   43-44. 

Jones,  Jr.,  Charles  C,  quoted,  135. 

Jones.  Jo.  Seawell,  quoted,  74-75, 
106,    196. 

Jones,  Marmaduke,  Councilor  and 
Attorney-General,  50-51. 

Jones,   Robert    ("Robin"),  29,   51. 

Jones,  Thomas,  New  York  histo- 
rian, quoted,  197. 

.Tones.  Willie,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118,  133;  Acting  Gov- 
ernor,  167. 

Jones, ,  of  Furnival's  Court, 

London,  51. 

Jones'  Defence  of  North  Carolina ; 
see  Jones,  Jo.  Seawell. 

Kentucky,   101. 

Kersle.y,  Thomas,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance, 129. 

Kilpatrick,  Thomas,  wounded  at 
Alamance,   129. 

King.  ,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators,  89. 

"King's   .-American   Regiment,"   79. 

King's    (Columbia)    College,   84. 

King's  Mountain,  Battle  of,  29. 

Kingsbury,      Theodore      Bryant, 
quoted.  101. 

Kirk.  General,  163. 

Knightsbridge    (England),    206. 

Knox.  ,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 95. 

Lane,  Joel,  101. 
Lee,  Richanl   Ilcnry,   196. 
Leech,  .loseiih.   acts  against  Regu- 
lators,   118.    1,55,    168. 
Leeds,  Pukes  of,  98. 
Lenoir,  William,  72. 
Lenoir   County    (N.   C),   72. 
"Leonidas"    (pseudonym),  1.52-153. 
LeKoy,  Caroline,  49. 
Lesley,  Susan   1.,  quoted,  49. 


INDEX. 


217 


Letters  of  James  Murray,  Loyal- 
ist,  quoted,  49. 

Lexingtou.  Battle  of,  183. 

Lewis,  Howell,  Assemblyman,  83. 

Lewis,  William,    190. 

Liberty  Hal! ;  see  Queen's  College. 

Lichfield    (England),    55. 

Lillington,  Alexander,  41 ;  acts 
against  Regulators,  90,  117; 
Revolutionary  patriot,  107,  177. 

Lincoln,   Benjamin,    72,    108. 

Lincoln  County   (N.  C),  72. 

Lindsay,  Walter,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 06. 

Lindsay,  William,  acts  against 
Regulators,   119. 

Little  Alamance  Creek,  138-139. 

Lloyd,  Tliomas,  41. 

Lloyd,  Thomas,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 89,  91,  96. 

Lohb,  Jacob,  Captain  Royal  Navy, 
spikes  guns  of  Fort  .Johnston, 
43-45. 

London  (England).  12,  51,  54-.55, 
199,   203-204. 

Long,  Daniel  Albright,  139. 

Long  Island   (N.  Y.),  190-191. 

Longe,  Dorothy,  206. 

Longe,   Robert!  206. 

Lords  Proprietors  of  Carolina,  9, 
202. 

Lossing,  B.  .J.,  historian,  quoted, 
12,  34-35,  65. 

Luckie,  William,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 119. 

Lunsdalc,  William,  wounded  at  Al- 
amance, 129. 

Lutherans,  lief  riended  by  Tryon.  20. 

Lytle,  ,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 89,  168. 

Maliry,  George,  threatened  by  Reg- 
ulators, 178. 

Macartney,  George,  Chaplain  in 
Tryon's  army,  102,  117. 

McCulloh,  Alexander,  Councilor, 
40-47. 

McCulloh,  Henry,  53. 

McCulloh,  Henrv  Eustace,  Coun- 
cilor, 46-47,  53-55. 


McDonald,  Donald,  in  command  of 
Tories,  130,  177-182;  defeated 
and  captured  at  Moore's  Creek, 
177-182. 

McDonald,  Flora,  Scottish  heroine, 
in  North  Carolina,  182. 

McGuire,  Thomas,  Admiralty  offi- 
cer, 42. 

JIcKinlay,   James,   70. 

McLeod,  ,  killed  at  Moore's 

Creek,  181. 

McMund,  John,  190. 

Mackihvean,  Francis,  acts  against 
Regulators,  118. 

McRee,  Grifiith  John,  biograjjher, 
quoted,  50,  54-55,  70,  107,  173. 

Maddock's  Mill    (N.  C),  87. 

Magazine  of  American  History, 
quoted,  135. 

Malcom,  .Jolm,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118,  123. 

Manila   (P.  I.),  66. 

Mansion  House,  London,  05. 

JIarshall,  Frederick  William,   142. 

Martin,  Alexander,  Governor,  73, 
167;  assaulted  by  Regulators, 
105,  107. 

Martin,  Elizabeth,  of  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.,  marries  her  cousin.  Gov- 
ernor Josiah  Martin,  191. 

Martin,  Francois  Xavier,  histo- 
rian, quoted,  42,  50,  60,  65,  72, 
74-75,  123-125,  131. 

Martin,  Sir  Henry,   191. 

Martin,  .Tosiah,  Tryon's  successor 
as  Governor,  arrives  in  North 
Carolina,  190;  his  family  and 
ancestry,  191;  his  opinion  of 
Regulators,  170-172;  sentiments 
towards  Tryon,  191-193;  snubbed 
by  Assembly,  191-192;  raises 
Loyalists,  177,  180-184;  see  also, 
50,  .59,  61,  70,  73,   145,  148. 

Martin,  Josiah,  of  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.,  uncle  and  father-in-law 
of  Governor  Josiah  Martin,  191. 

Martin  family  of  Long  Island,  N. 
Y.,  191. 

Martin's  History  North  Carolina; 
see  Martin.  Francois  Xavier. 


218 


INDEX. 


Martin  County    (N.  C),  73. 

Miii-vland,  51.   135,   179,   182. 

Massachusetts,  183,   18.5. 

Massachusetts  Spy,  quoted,  152. 

Matear,     Roliert,     a     Regulator, 
hanged,    144145. 

Matson    ( Kngland ) ,  55. 

Matthewson.    ,    Surgeon's 

Mate  in  Tryon's  army,  118. 

Meade,  William,  quoted,  60,  102. 

Mebane,  Alexander,  acts  against 
Regulators,  80,   108. 

Mebane,  Giles,  138. 

Mecklenburg  County  (N.  C. ),  20, 
28,  53-55,  72,  74."  83,  90,  93-96, 
110,  119,  122.  143,  108,  183. 

Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, 27. 

Mercer  (Messer?),  Forester,  a 
Regulator,  145,  149. 

Mercer,  George,  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor of  North   Carolina.  00  01. 

Merrill.  Benjamin,  a  Regulator, 
hanged,  127,  144-14.5,  147-148, 
189;  his  speech  from  the  gal- 
lows, 147. 

Messer  ( or  Mercer ) ,  Forester,  145, 
149. 

Micklejohn,  George,  172;  preaches 
to  Tryon's  army,  20,   101-102. 

Middlesex  (England),  200,  204- 
205. 

Miranda,  Don  Francisco  de,  66. 

Mississippi  River,  58. 

Montgomery,  Hugh,  acts  against 
Regulators,  96,  108. 

Monument  to  Regulators  at  Ala- 
mance, 139. 

Moore,  Alfred,  100. 

Moore,  George,  41. 

Moore,  James  (New  Hanover), 
acts  against  Regulators,  90,  117- 
118;  Revolutionary  patriot,  107, 

m. 

Moore,  James  (Wake  County),  acta 
against  Regulators.  118. 

Moore,  Maurice,  99-100;  writes 
"Attieus"  letter,  69,  100.  138, 
1.55;  copy  of  letter,  156-164; 
acts  against  Regulatoi's,  96;   de- 


nounced    by     Regulators,     114; 

libelled    by    Husband,    107-109; 

presides  over  trial  of  Regulators 

for    treason,    144;    inconsistency 

of,   100,   104;    see  also   100,   111, 

170,  184-185.  187. 
Moore  family,  62,  99. 
Moore's   Creek    Bridge,   Battle   of, 

120,  130,  177-182. 
Morant's  History  of  Essex,  quoted, 

10. 
Moravians  at  Wachovia,  Salem  and 

Bethabara   entertain   Tryon,   20- 

22,  141-142;  see  also  126,  134. 
Morgan,  John,  79. 
Mountaineers   of   North   Carolina, 

29. 
"Mucins    Scevola"     (pseudonym), 

152-153. 
Mulgrave,  Lord;  see  Phipps. 
JIurpliry,   Archibald   De  Bow, 

quoted,  101. 
Murray,  James,  Councilor,  47-49. 
Murray,    John,    Earl    of    Dunmoro 

and  Governor  of  Virginia,  194. 

Nash,  Abner,  Trustee  of  Queen's 
College,  26;  seizes  artillery  at 
New  Bern,  69 ;  acts  against 
Regulators,  96,  118;  Assembly- 
man. Ill;  Governor,  107. 

Nash,  Francis,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 82,  89,  118;  escapes  from 
Regulators,  105;  killed  in  Revo- 
lution, 167. 

Nash.  Francis,  historian,  quoted, 
150-151. 

Neale,  Christopher,  acts  against 
Regulators,  117-118. 

Neel,  Thomas,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 119. 

Nelson,  .James,"  woiuided  at  Ala- 
mance,  129. 

Nelson,  William.  Acting  Governor 
of  Virginia,   115. 

Nethevlands,  Tryon  family  said  to 
have  come  from,  10-11;  see  also 
Holland. 

Neville,  .Tohn,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance,  129. 


INDEX. 


219 


New  Bern  (N.  C),  12,  15,  17,  19, 
23,  36,  47,  49,  GO,  62-72,  75,  83, 
92,  106,  109,  115-116,  129,  132, 
152,  154-155,  179,  190,  193. 

New  Bern  Ac;ideniv,  18. 

New  England,  49,  "193,  196. 

New  Hanover  County  (N.  C),  43, 
74,  117-118,  124. 

New  Jersey,   98,   103. 

Newman.  Anthony,  Surgeon-Gen- 
eral in  Tryon's  army,  96. 

"New  Lights"   ( religious  sect ) ,  20. 

New  York,  Tryon's  administra- 
tion in,  195,  et  scq.;  see  also  10, 
15,  .59  60,  75,  79,  148,  152,  154, 
1.56-157,  190-191,  193-194,  200. 

New  York  Gazette,  quoted,   106. 

New  Zealand,  55. 

News  and  Observer,  quoted,  75. 

Non-conformists,  see  Dissenters. 

Norbury  Park,  a  seat  of  the  Tryon 
family  in  England,  10. 

Norfolk  County  (England),  201, 
205-206. 

Norfolk    (Va.),  196. 

Norm.Tnb}',   Marquis   of,  40. 

North  American  Notes  and  Que- 
ries, quoted,  39. 

North  Carolina  Gazette,  quoted, 
107. 

Northampton   (England) ,  204. 

Northampton  County  (England), 
11,   200-201. 

Northumberland.  Earl  of,  Viee-Ad- 
mlr.il  of  American  Colonies,  51. 

Norwich    (England).  205. 

Notes  and  Queries,  North  Ameri- 
can, quoted,  39. 

Nova  Scotia,  83. 

"Ohiah  Equah"  (Great  Wolf),  In- 
dian n:ime  for  Tryon,  58. 

Old  Churches  and  Families  in 
Virginia,  quoted,   102. 

Old  North  State  in  1776,  by  Ca- 
ruthers:  see  Caruthers,  Eli  W. 

Onslow  County  (N.  C),  117-118, 
124,    168. 

Orange  County  (N.  C).  74.  77,  79, 
86,  88,  et  ser/.,   118.   124,  16S. 


Orton  Plantation,  24-25,  62. 
Osborne,  Adlai.  Trustee  of  Liberty 

Hall,  26;  see  also  98. 
Osborne,      Alexander,      98;      acts 

against  Regulators,   93-96,    104, 

168. 
Osborne  family,  27,  98. 
Oxford   University    (England),  83. 

Palace,  Tryon,  12,  60.  02-72,  156, 
et  seq.,  193. 

Palmer,  Robert,  Councilor,  46,  48; 
Commissioner  to  run  Cherokee 
boundary,  56-57 ;  acts  against 
Regulators.  96;  removes  to  Eng- 
land,  204.    207. 

Palmer,  William,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 118. 

Parishes  of  St.  Ann  (England), 
49;  St.  James,  24-25;  St.  Luke 
(England).  204.  206;  St.  Marga- 
ret, "74  ;  St.  Mary  (England), 
200,  202;  St.  Philip,  24-25. 

Parsons,  George,  a  Regulator,  132. 

Patillo,  Hcnry^,  184-185. 

Patten,  John,  acts  against  Regula- 
tors, 118,  131;  "Revolutionary 
p.atriot.    131,    167-168. 

Pegram,  Daniel,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance,  129. 

Penn,  William,  136. 

Penningion,  Penelope,  206. 

Pennington,  William.  Collector  of 
Customs.  42-43  ;  removes  to  Eng- 
land, 204,  206-207. 

Pennsylvania,   136,   138,   193. 

Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History, 
quoted.  72. 

Person,  Thomas,  a  Regulator  and 
Revolutionary  patriot,   174. 

Peyton,  William,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 118;  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance. 129. 

Phifer.  Martin,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators.  95-96.    168. 

Philadelphia    (Pa.).  64.  130. 

Phipps,  Constantine  John  (Lord 
Mulgrave),  Captain  of  sloop 
"Diligence,"    37,   39  40. 

Phipps, Henry  (Lord Mulgrave)  ,40. 


220 


INDEX. 


Pitt,  William,  Earl  of  Chatham, 
73. 

Pitt  County   (N.  C),  73,  118,  168. 

Plaiitagenet,  Royal  House  of.  Gov- 
ernor Tryon  descended  from,  12. 

Polk,  Thomas,  Trustee  of  Liberty 
Hall,  20;  Assemblyman,  83"; 
City  Treasurer  and  Commis- 
sioner of  Charlotte,  83;  acts 
against  Regulators,  110,  119, 
168. 

Polk  County   (N.  C),  58,  73. 

Polk  family.  27. 

Pope.  Alexander,  his  grave  n-ar 
Tryon's,   202. 

Population  of  North  Carolina 
compared  with  that  of  other 
colonies,  193. 

Postal  system  improved  by  Tryon, 
14-15. 

"Potter"   (Patten),  131. 

Powers,  ,  Surgeon's  Mate 

in  Tryon's  army,  118. 

Presbyterians,  18'-20,  28-29,  188- 
190;  disclaim  Regulators,  20, 
188. 

Prince  Edward  Island,  83. 

Pugh,  James,  a  Regulator,  132; 
hanged.  145;  speech  from  the 
gallows,  150. 

Pugh.   .lolm.   a   Regulator,   115. 

Purviancc,  William,  Revolutionary 
patriot,  177. 

Quakers,  20;  disclaim  Regulators, 

189-190. 
Queb(>e,   39. 
Queen's  College,  Queen's  Museum, 

or   Liberty    Hall,    in    Charlotte, 

26-28. 
Quincy,  .Tr.,  .Tosiah,  l.')4. 

Raleigh    (N.  C),  67-68,  74,  121. 
Ramsgate    ("Ramcat")    Road,   cut 

by  Tryon.  121. 
Ramsour's   Mill,   Rattle  of,   182. 
Ranck,  C.eorgo   W.,  quoted.   101. 
Reod.  Ann,  200. 
Reed  Isaac,  wounded  at  .\lamance. 

129. 


Reed,  William,  206. 

Regulators,  Insurrection  of,  20,  77, 
et  seq. 

Rhamkatte  Road,  see  Ramsgate. 

Rhode   Island,  49. 

Richards,    ,    Surgeon    in 

Tryon's   army,   119. 

Richmond.  Duke  of,   73. 

"Riot  Act,"  112-114,  144,  162,  164; 
see  also  "Johnston  Act." 

Kix.   William,  206. 

Robertson,  James,  succeeds  Tryon 
as  Governor  of  New  York,  197. 

Rochester,  Natlianiel,  Revolution- 
ary patriot,  his  autobiography 
quoted,  182;  city  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  named  for,  182. 

Ross,  Francis,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators.  119. 

Rowan  County  (N.  C),  27,  83- 
85,  90,  93,  9.5-ni),  119,  129,  143, 
105.  108.  175. 

Rumple,  Jitliro,  quoted,  84-85. 

Russell,  John,  Captain  in  Royal 
N.avy,  62. 

Rutherford,  Griffith,  .Assemblyman, 
83 ;  acts  against  Regulators. 
116;  Revohitionarv  patriot,  72, 
167. 

Rutherford.  John,  Councilor.  46- 
47 ;  Commissioner  to  run  Chero- 
kee boundary. 50-58 ;  acts  against 
Regulators,  95-117. 

R'.itherford  County   (N.  C),  72. 

Sabine.  Lorenzo,  quoted,  179. 

Saint  Ann's  Parish   (Engl.nnd).  49. 

Saint  James'  Church  at  Wilming- 
ton, 24-25. 

Saint  .Tames.  Court  of,  23. 

Saint  John's  Island.   83. 

Siint  Luke's  Parish  (England), 
201  205. 

Saint  Margaret's  Parish  in  Wake 
County,  74. 

.Saint  Mary's  Church,  in  Twicken- 
ham, England,  burial  place  of 
Governor  Tryon.  Governor  Berke- 
ley. Lord  Berkeley,  et  ah,  200, 
202. 


INDEX. 


221 


Saint   Philip's   Cliurch    at   Bruns- 
wick,  24-25. 
Salem;  see  Moravians. 
Salisbury   (N.  C),  22,  36,  85,  93, 

95-96,   98,   106,   115-116,    122. 
Salisbury  Academy,  27. 
Salter,  Robert,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118,  168. 
Sampson,  James,  acts  against  Reg- 
ulators, 90. 
Sampson,     John,     Councilor,     46, 
48;  acts  against  Regulators,  96. 
Sampson  County   (N.  C),  48. 
Sandy  Creek,  74. 
Sandy   Creek   Baptist   Association 
excommunicates  Regulators,  188- 
189;   see  also  Baptists. 
Saunders,  Elizabeth,  204. 
Saunders,  William  L.,  quoted,  90- 

91,    184-185. 
Sauthier,  C.  J.,  138. 
Saxapahaw  River,  83. 
Sa.xton,  Sarah,  206. 
Schaw,  Robert,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 96,  119. 
"Scorpion"  sloop  of  war,  02. 
Scotch  Highlanders;  see  Highland- 
ers. 
Selwyn,  George  Augustus,  53-55. 
Sehvyn,    George   Augustus    (Bish- 
op), 55. 
Sehvyn,   John,   55. 
Selwyn,  William,  55. 
"Separatists"    (religious  sect),  20. 
Shawnese    Indians.30. 
Shelburne,  Earl  of.  58. 
"Shenandoah"   cruiser,    169. 
Shenandoah  Valley,   197. 
Sheridan,    P.    H.,    compared    with 

Tryon,  197. 
Sherman.    W.    T.,    compared    with 

Tryon,  197. 
Shirley,     Lady     Jlary,     wife     of 
Charles    Tryon    and    mother    of 
Governor,    11,   200. 
Shirley.    Robert,    Earl    of    Ferrers, 
grandfatlier  of  Governor  Tryon, 
11,  200. 
Shirley,   Srlina,  Countess  Ferrers, 
grandmother  of  Governor  Tryon, 
200. 


Shrewsbury    (England),  207. 
Sketches  of  Western  North  Caro- 
lina,   by    Hunter;     see    Hunter, 
C.  L. 
Skipwith,  Lady,  206. 
Sloane    Street    in    Chelsea     (Eng- 
land), 205-206. 
Smith.  John,   killed  at  Alamance, 

130. 
Smith,  Faithy,  130. 
Smj-th,  J.  F.  D.,  quoted,  131. 
Sneed,  Samuel,  acta  against  Regu- 
lators,   119. 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 

Gospel,   23,   28. 
"Sons  of  Liberty,"  39. 
South  Atlantic   Quarterly,   quoted, 

96. 
South    Carolina,    59,    88,    99,    115, 
122,  167. 
I    Southern  Quakers  and  Slavery,  by 
Weeks;  see  Weeks,  Stephen  B. 
Spaight,  George,  47. 
Spaight,  Richard,  Councilor.  46-47. 
Spaight,  Sr..  Ri,.-hard  Dobbs.  47. 
Spaight,  Jr.,   Richard  Dobbs,   47. 
Spaight-Stanly    duel,   47. 
Sparrow,    Mrs..    206. 
Spencer,    Mrs.    Cornelia     Phillips, 

quoted,   75. 
Spencer.  Samuel,  acts  again.st  Reg- 
ulators, 92,  96,  119,  168. 
Sprunt,  James,  quoted,  24,  62 ;  ex- 
cavates  ruins  of  Tryon's   house 
at  Brunswick,  62-63. 
Stag  Park,  sold  by  Burrington  to 

Strudwick,  49. 
Stair,  Lord,  44. 

Stamp  Act,  31-46,  156,  186;  Stamp 
Act  Congress,  40;  description  of 
stamps.  .35. 
Stanly,   John.   47. 
Stanly-Spaight  duel,  47. 
Stanton,  Mary,  204. 
Stewart,  James,  a  Regulator,  145. 
Strange,    John,    wounded    at    Ala- 
mance and  afterwards  drowned, 
129. 
Strudwick.  Edmund.  49. 
Strudwick,  Samuel,  Councilor,  48- 
49;   acts  against  Regulators,  96. 


222 


INDEX. 


Stuart,  Andrew,  threatened  by  col- 
onists, 34 ;  suspended  from  of- 
fice as  public  printer,  45. 

Surry  County   (N.  C),  126,  175. 

Swain,  David  L.,  quoted,  75,  184. 

Swann,  Jr.,  Sanuiel,  acts  against 
Regulators,  96. 

Swift,  Joseph  Gardner,  98. 

Tales  and  Traditions  of  the  Lower 
Cape  Fear,  by  Sprunt;  see 
Sprunt,  James. 

Tar  River,  85. 

Taylor,  Jr.,  Joseph,  175. 

"Tea   Partv"  at   Boston,   39. 

Tennessee,' 101,    13G,   193. 

Terry, .  Chaplain  of  Wad- 
dell's  Brigade,  119. 

Thackston,  James,  acts  against 
Regulators,  89,  168. 

Thompson,  Robert,  Regulator,  kill- 
ed at  Alamance,  133,  100;  his 
violent   character,   165-160. 

Thompson,  William,  acts  against 
Regulator.s,  118,  131. 

Thompson,  ,  acts  against 

Regulators,  80. 

TifTany,  Nina   Jloore,  quoted,  49. 

Tomliiison,  Thomas,  school-master 
at  New  Bern,  18,  23. 

Tortle,  Thomas,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance,  129. 

Tour  in  America,  by  Smyth;  see 
Smyth,  J.  F.  T>. 

Transylvania,   Colony   of,    100-101. 

Tiont'River    (N.  C),   71. 

Trian,    11. 

Trumb\ill,  Jonathan,  Governor  of 
Connecticut,  208. 

Tryan,  Hugh,  11. 

Tryan,  Robert,  11. 

Tryenestone,  seat  of  a  family  of 
tryan,   10-11. 

Tryon.  Ann,  sister  of  Governor 
tryon.  201,  204,  200. 

Tryon,  Charles,  father  of  Governor 
Tryon.   11,  200. 

Tryon,  Sir  George,  Admiral,  12. 

Tryon,  Harriot,  sister  of  Governor 
tryon,   20-1. 


Tryon,  Margaret,  wife  of  Governor 

Tryon,    12,   21-22,   09,    103,    200, 

20  i,    203-207. 
Tryon,  JIargaret,  daughter  of  Gov- 

eruor  Tryon,  201,   203-206. 
Tr3-on,    Lady    Mar.y,    daughter    of 

Robert  Shirley,  Earl  of  Ferrers, 

and  mother  of  Governor  Tryon, 

11,  200. 
Trjon,   Mary,    sister   of   Governor 

tryon,  204-200. 
Tryon,  Peter,  10. 
Tryon,    ,    sislcr     (?)     of 

Governor  Tryon,  20. 
Tryon    (N.   C),   73. 
Tryon  Castle,  Governor's  house  at 

Brunswick,    02-63. 
Tryon  County   (N.  C),  72,  73,  119, 

i97. 
Tryon   County    (N.   Y.),    72,    143, 

197. 
Tryon   Mountain,    58.    73. 
Tryon  Palace;  see  Palace. 
Tryon   Street   in   Charlotte,  28. 
Tu'rvil,  James,  190. 
Turvil,   Solomon,   190. 
Tusearora   Indians,   58. 
Twickenham,  England,  burial  place 

of     Governor     Tryon.     Governor 

Berkeley,  Lord  Berkeley,  ct  al., 

200,  202. 

University  of  North  Carolina,  27. 

University  Maafa^ine  (North  Caro- 
lina), quoted,  75.  79,  92,   101. 

Upper  Grosvenor  Street  in  Lon- 
don,   199.204. 

Utley,   Richard,    142, 

"View  of  the  Polity  of  the  Prov- 
ince of  North  Carolina,"  work 
on  civil  government  written  by 
Tryon,  52. 

"Viper"  sloop  of  war,  43. 

Viririnia,  59,  61,  85,  100-103,  115, 
106-167,  193-194,  196,  202. 

Wachovia  ;  see  Moravians. 
Wachovia,  History  of,  by  Chnvell ; 
see  Clewell,  John  H. 


INDEX. 


223 


Waddell,  Alfred  Moore,  biogra- 
pher, quoted,  32,  37-40,  44,  47, 
169. 

Waddell,  Hugh,  leads  demonstra- 
tion against  sloop  '"Diligence," 
37-39 ;  commands  armed  escort 
on  Cherokee  boundary  expedi- 
tion, 57 ;  promoted  to  General, 
115-119;  his  force  intercepted  by 
Regulators,  122;  effects  a  junc- 
tion with  Tryon,  141;  death  of, 
169;  see  also  40,  44,  127,  141, 
143. 

Waddell,  Mrs.  Hugh,  203. 

Waddell,  Hugh    (lawyer),  203. 

Waddell,  .James  Iredell,  169. 

Wake,  Esther,  a  mythical  charac- 
ter,  74-76. 

Wake,  Margaret,  marries  Tryon, 
12,  204;  see  also  Tryon,  Mrs. 
Margaret. 

Wake  County,  origin  of  its  name, 
74-76;  see  also  109,  116  121, 
124,  154,  168. 

\\  ake  Forest  Student,  quoted,  101. 

Walker,  John,  acts  against  Regu- 
lators, 118;  captured  and  beat- 
en, 124-125;  aid-de-camp  to 
Washington,  167. 

"Wallanuah"   (novel),  quoted,  116. 

Warren  County   (N.  C),  72. 

Warren,  Joseph,  72. 

Washington,  George,  his  opinion 
of  Charlotte  and  Liberty  Hall, 
27;  visits  New  Bern,  70-72;  his 
sentiments  concerning  Lord  Dun- 
more,  196;  see  also  11,  61,  167, 
184. 

Washington,  Laurence,  11. 

Webster.  Daniel,  49. 

Webster,  Caroline  LeRoy,  49. 

Weeks.  Stephen  B.,  quoted,  189. 

Weems,  Jlason  L.,  27. 

Welborn,     Tliomas,     a     Regulator, 

Wentworth,  Charles  Watson,  Mar- 
quis of  Rockingham,  73. 

Wentworth    (N.    C),    73. 

West   Indies.   191. 

Westminster   (England) ,  49. 

Wheeler.  John  H.,  historian, 
quoted,  92,   187,  189. 


Whiskey  Insurrection,   138. 

White,  Jr.,  James,  172. 

White.   Robert,    172. 

White,  William,   172. 

White,   Jr.,   William,   172. 

Whitefield,  (Jcorge.  preaches  in 
North  Carolina,   23-24. 

Wickham,  .Tohn,  84. 

Wilkes,  Jolin,   73. 

Wilkes  County    (N.  C),  73. 

Williams,    Humphrey,    189. 

Williams,  John,  attacked  by  Regu- 
lators,  104,   137. 

Williams,  Michael,  190. 

Williamsburg    (Va.),   15,  59. 

William-son.Hugh,  historian,  quoted, 
19.  77,  110,  122,  131,  133,  191- 
192. 

Wills,  John,  Chaplain  on  Chero- 
kee boundary  expedition,  57. 

Wills  of  Governor  and  Mrs.  Tryon, 
203-207. 

Wilmington  (N.  C),  14-16,  23-25, 
32,  36,  38,  44-46.  83,  89,  92,  115. 

Winchester    (England),  206. 

\\'ood,  Edward  .Jenner,  quoted,  79. 

Woodmason,  Charles,  missionary, 
28-29. 

Wrench,   Ann,   205-206. 

Wrench,   Jonathan,   205. 

Wrench,  ,  205. 

Wright,  Gideon,  126. 

Wyvill,   Sir  Marmaduke,  51. 

Wyvill,   Marmaduke    (of   Mary- 
land), 51. 

Wyvill,  Ursula,  51. 

Wyvill,  William,  51. 

Wyrill  family  of  Maryland  enti- 
tled to  English  baronetcj',  51. 

Yadkin  River,  85,  1.55. 

Yale   University,   78-79,   83-84. 

Yeats,  Charles,  wounded  at  Ala- 
mance.  129. 

Yarmouth  ;  see  Grecit  Yarmouth. 

York,  Lyman,  179. 

York,  Robinson,  a  Regulator,  104, 
115,  178,  180. 

York,  Seymore,  179. 

Yorktown,   179. 


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